Events

Webinar available on demand: Raising the Bar

Learn how your brand can stand tall in the crowded bar space with ingredients, innovation and influence.

03 Jul 2020

4 min

#Global #Active Lifestyle #Events #Protein #Nutrition

The US Nutritional Bar market is growing rapidly, and many consumers are looking to protein bars for a nutritious snack on the go. Targeting everyone from mainstream consumers to high-performance athletes, bar brands are working hard to deliver solutions with broad appeal.

We've recently extended our bar portfolio with three new ingredients for high-protein low sugar bar formulations

NZMP invites you to continue this journey with us as we unveil how these ingredients can be used in nutrition bar applications.  

In this webinar, we will share:
  • The current US bar market trends (popular claims, ingredients, successful and emerging brands)
  • Insights from a renowned fitness coach on his health and nutrition journey
  • How to differentiate your product in this competitive landscape with NZMP ingredients
  • The importance of partnerships, from choosing the right packaging to positioning, branding to ambassadors
     

 

Don’t have time to watch the recording? Take 2 minutes to read our summary notes:

1. There is no one-size fits all for bars but protein still reigns as top trends

Consumers are purchasing a diverse variety of snacking and nutrition bars to fit their needs, there is no one bar type that delivers to everyone. Yet whatever the type of bar, protein continues to be a key factor of bar choice (both protein amount and protein source) and there are a variety of different sources of proteins available.

2. Not all proteins are created equal

To provide the substrate for building and maintaining muscle mass to support physical performance, our bodies need a range of essential amino acids (EAA’s) that can only be supplied through protein in our diet. Dairy protein is a high quality, complete protein high in EAA’s, making it an ideal ingredient for formulating bars that not only taste great but deliver the best quality protein nutrition.

3. Healthy bars with functional benefits on the rise

Consumers are becoming increasingly active and therefore driven toward better-for-you bars that offer functional benefits that support them to keep on track with their health and performance goals. We are seeing an increasing number of bar launches that address expanding consumer benefits areas such as immunity, digestive health and sleep enhancement, indicating potential to innovate further in these area.

4. Blending ingredients to overcome manufacturing challenges

It takes more than simply adding protein when formulating bars. Mainstream consumers expect great taste, texture and the right nutrition, which can be challenging especially at higher protein levels. This challenge can typically be overcome by blending protein ingredients and/or adding inclusions.

5. Dairy ingredients for all bar formats

Fonterra has extensively evaluated the textural characteristics of a wide variety of ingredients to form its new NZMP bar ingredients portfolio. We can help brands formulate great tasting bars that deliver a range of consumer benefits, including increased energy, supporting muscle recovery after exercise, providing low-calorie meal replacement solutions, and even offering healthy indulgence snacking.

6. Opportunity for novel innovation in the bar market

Our panel is excited to see what is to come in the bar space! They challenge the nutrition bar industry to be innovative and come up with unique concepts and propositions that deliver on the ever-growing variety of consumer nutritional and health benefit demands.

7. Digital space as an immediate opportunity

From Prime to Walmart Delivery to Instacart, consumer behaviour has changed with many more consumers adding groceries to their online shopping cart versus in store shopping cart. Brands must stand out in that digital space, ensuring they are visible to their target consumers in our increasingly digital consumer buying landscape.

Related reading...

Insights

4 Trends Redefining The Global Nutrition Bar Market

Innovation

New ingredients launched for high protein, low sugar bar formulations

More about our expert speakers

Lynn Dornblaser

Director, Innovation & Insight – Mintel

Bringing more than 30 years of product trend knowledge to her work at Mintel, Lynn applies her unique perspective on the market and new product development to tailored client research and to extensive public speaking. Her vast experience, including her time as editor and editorial director of publication New Product News, has seen her be quoted by major US news organizations, including The Wall Street Journal, USA Today, The New York Times, and CNN.

Gideon Akande

Fitness and Wellness Coach

Fitness and wellness trainer, nutritionist and social media influencer. Two-time Chicago Golden Glove boxing champion and winner of Men's Health top trainer national competition, he's been featured in magazines, on talk shows, and in other fitness publications – inspiring people around the globe with his story.

Rachel Marshall

Technical Engagement Manager - NZMP Sports and Active Lifestyles

With 20 years' experience in dairy ingredient solutions and a passion for sports and active nutrition, Rachel is a wealth of knowledge on the market and how to use protein ingredients to offer great taste and texture across a range of applications. She works closely with global sales teams and customers to speed up innovation and new consumer product launches.

Starla Paulsen

Food Industry Consultant

Starla Paulsen obtained a master's degree in Food Science and Human Nutrition from the University of Wyoming in 1998. Throughout her career, she has specialized in formulation and troubleshooting in manufacturing plants with proteins of all types, especially in Nutritional Bars. From 2002-2011, Starla managed the Applications Department at Glanbia Nutritionals, Inc. and has worked with nearly all major sports nutrition companies, marketing companies and bar manufacturers.

Kate Weidner

CEO SRW Agency, Co-Founder Naturally Chicago, Board Member the Hatchery

Former journalist and the co-founder and CEO of independent, full-service marketing agency, SRW, with offices in Chicago and Denver. There she leads a ragtag bunch of hooligans helping wellness brands drive awareness through digital media and classic good thinking.

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