Ready-to-go, audience targeted and protein and fiber packed, functional food bars are keeping up with consumer demands.

With consumers living more fastpaced lives than ever, the food market is facing growing demand for on-the-go products. Thanks to their versatility and convenience, bars are moving from markets such as sports nutrition to the mainstream, and are being increasingly integrated in consumers’ everyday lives.

In 2013, noted Marilyn Stieve, business development manager—bars, with Glanbia Nutritionals in Wisconsin, the U. S. market value for nutritional health bars grew 14 percent, and looking further afield, E.U. market growth from 2000 to 2017 is estimated at 291 percent, according to “Cereal Bars—Europe Market Value by Country,” a 2014 report from Datamonitor.

Alongside busier lifestyles, consumer trends have also driven the expansion of the bars market, added Stieve. “Factors such as clarity in ingredient labeling, a focus on a balanced diet, healthful living and a convenient format are all having a key influence on the market.” 

According to a report by Euromonitor, in 2013, retail value sales of bars increased by four percent to reach $6.6 billion, making it one of the faster growing categories in the food and beverage segment. Healthy positioning is a key selling point for bars, most notably in energy and nutrition bars. Within the bar category, energy and nutrition bars are amongst the fastest: value sales increased by 13 percent to reach $2.5 billion, noted Caroline Brons, director of marketing with DSM Nutritional Products in New Jersey. In addition, sales of sports performance bars grew 24.5 percent from 2010 to 2012 according to Mintel’s Performance Food & Drink 2013 report.

Consumer Usage 

When bars first started to gain traction about 10 years ago, energy and nutrition bars were niche products, mainly used by athletes and dieters in support of their workout or as a meal supplement, Brons explained. “The energy and weight-management health benefits proved to be the foundations for the category’s transformation in the 2000s, as bars moved from niche into mass,” she said. “Today, many consumers are reaching for energy and nutrition bars to supplement their regular eating habits, while some consumers even have bars to replace a meal. Overall, consumer perception of bars has moved from a somewhat instrumental and bland food for workout to a delicious and healthful everyday snack. At the same time, brand owners have transformed their bars into attractive, trendy brands which appeal to young and higher income consumers.” 

Bars are often positioned as having nutritional value with a specific health benefit in mind (i.e. protein in energy bars), said Marlena Hidlay, associate marketing manager, DSM Nutritional Products. Energy bars serve as a meal replacement for consumers who need a quick boost but are too busy to consume a whole meal, she added. Six in 10 energy bar users (59 percent) eat them as a snacks between meals, 50 percent choose them for overall wellness, 35 percent as a meal replacement, 35 percent for protein, 27 percent to lose weight, 25 percent for muscle recovery, 23 percent to enhance metabolism, and 16 percent to control blood sugar (Mintel, 2012).

Hidlay also explained that 54 percent of consumers who use performance products do so because they’re easy to consume, 49 percent are looking to replace nutrients lost during physical activity/exercise and 42 percent because they’re looking to get balanced nutrients. Men report the highest rates of consumption of all-purpose energy bars (41 percent) and athletic protein bars (36 percent) (Mintel, 2013).

“Cereal-based functional bars are a popular snack and are typically geared toward the breakfast occasion as a convenient on-the-go meal replacement/snack. Cereal companies like Kellogg’s, Post, General Mills and Quaker (PepsiCo) have each launched their branded versions,” said Hidlay.

Bob Green, chairman of Advantra Z, Inc. (thermogenic ingredient), said energy and nutrition bars, such as TrimFit and ThermoBlast, which contain Advantra Z, are primarily consumed prior to working out and are also eaten as snacks and meal replacements.

“But when it comes to energy/nutrition bars, it’s not just the ‘how’ but the ‘who’ that’s interesting,” he said. “Energy/nutrition bars were originally used for pre workout by serious athletes and bodybuilders. The huge growth in this category, however, has been driven by active lifestyle enthusiasts: people of all ages and walks of life—from 20-somethings to soccer moms and weekend warriors, to aging Baby Boomers and seniors—who want to increase energy, prefer a nutritious snack, need to control the portions of the foods they eat, or simply are so busy, they are forced to eat on the run.

Bar Ingredients 

Functional and nutritional bar ingredients can help improve taste and texture, as well as enabling manufacturers to develop formulations for specific consumers, said Stieve. Key ingredient trends include protein fortification, use of ancient grains and seeds, fiber enhancement and positioning around energy and satiety. “When formulating bars, it’s important to consider the core, coatings, layers and overall texture and taste,” she said.

With consumers increasingly aware of the importance of sugar reduction, manufacturers need alternative products with binding properties, she noted, adding that ingredients such as Glanbia Nutritionals’ OptiSol 2000, a milk protein concentrate with binding capabilities for example, can facilitate up to 50 percent sugar reduction for chewy granola, baked and snack bars, while raising the protein content.

In addition, high protein formulations can affect texture and shelf life, both important attributes for today’s consumers, Stieve noted. “Ingredients that help to manage these challenges are at the heart of manufacturers’ needs.” The milk protein BarPro 585 from Glanbia Nutritionals for example, enables manufacturers to add protein fortification without affecting the texture and allows them to achieve the whipped nougat texture that has always been a challenge when adding protein to nutritional bars, she said.

Glanbia Nutritionals also produces OptiSol 1001 to fortify chocolate coatings with protein. As an innovative way of boosting nutrition in everyday items, OptiSol 1001 allows manufacturers to add protein in the core, layers and coatings of bars.

More specific to baked bars are ingredients that allow egg replacement. The quest for allergen-free, lighter and price-stable products is pushing the boundaries of functional ingredients. Glanbia Nutritionals OptiSol 3000 is a flax- and whey protein-derived functional ingredient, which can be incorporated into baked bars as an egg replacer.

Ingredient manufacturers are now helping to formulate nutritional bars with grains and healthy seeds, such as quinoa, amaranth, sorghum, flaxseed and chia that are rich in fiber and protein.

Soy Protein 

Missouri-based DuPont Nutrition & Health supplies soy protein, fiber ingredients, probiotics, as well as a range of products that help improve the textural, shelf life and sensory aspects of bars, said Jean Heggie, strategic marketing lead, with the company.

“Our soy protein ingredients are valued for providing a source of high-quality, plant-based protein. We offer isolated soy proteins specially designed for nutrition bars that improve shelf life performance and prevent bar hardening. We also offer soy protein in the form of a ‘crisp’ or ‘nugget,’” she said.

These ingredients are valued for adding high quality protein in a crunchy format, and are available in a variety of protein contents, formats, shapes and sizes. DuPont Nutrition & Health also offers Litesse Polydextrose offering excellent performance as a fiber source in bars and has strong clinical support for its satiety and tolerance benefits. “We also see increasing market interest in applying the clinical research supporting the benefits of our HOWARU Probiotics for immune and digestive health to nutrition bar applications,” Heggie added.

While protein is king, Hidlay noted that oats are another ingredient commonly found in functional bars. “Oats contain beta-glucan, a kind of soluble dietary fiber with four key health benefits: cholesterol maintenance, healthy blood glucose control, digestive health and satiety support.” 

DSM’s OatWell Oat Beta-Glucan is a leading source of soluble oat fiber given its high molecular weight, high concentration and high solubility, according to the company. OatWell’s clinical efficacy has been highlighted in more than eight scientific studies.

Product Trends and Innovations 

Innovation in functional ingredients is mainly technology driven, said Stieve. “Protein fortification is still one of the main trends in the market and bar manufacturers are now looking for new ingredients to enhance nutrition and texture in different elements of bars, from core, to coatings to inside layers.” A trend gathering buzz is pea protein with companies exhibiting at the 2014 IFT in New Orleans, LA featuring a few brands of pea protein isolates, Hidley added. Another option for vegetarians is rapeseed protein isolate, a safe and complete protein.

Other innovations include the addition of confectionery-type ingredients (chocolate, yogurt coatings, chocolate chips); nutritional ingredients, natural, limited preservation, and the introduction of soft baked bars. “In addition to nutrition and flavor, consumers are developing more interest in texture innovation,” said DSM’s Brons.

In addition, gluten has become more taboo in recent times, and we see more gluten-free product launches than ever, according to Hidley.

Stieve agreed that key innovations in the bar sector are linked to the glutenfree trend, which is expected to grow over the coming years, not only as a nutritional alternative to celiac disease, but to address the needs of those consciously seeking to remove gluten from their diet. “Functional ingredients that improve textures and enhance nutrition are crucial in gluten-free bar applications,” she said.

In terms of applications, suppliers anticipate the expansion of bite-size portions and products targeted to specific audiences, such as kids, Baby Boomers and Millennials, Stieve added.

Research, Development & Sales 

With all the considerations to formulate the perfect bar, research and development personnel should be brought into the equation from the very beginning so that an optimum ingredient formulation can be developed, said Patrick Morris, communications manager, Fortitech Premixes by DSM. “R&D also needs to work hand-in-hand with marketing so that each can benefit from feedback in their respective areas to create a winning strategy that ensures success from a branding and sales perspective. Selection of correct ingredients which deliver nutrients should be approved for the intended use and must meet stringent quality standards to assure consumers safety and efficacy throughout the product’s shelf life.”