Snack-Sized Bars Meet Consumer Demand

Most food products developed in the United States, including energy bars, evolve out of traditional forms of research and development (R&D). A plethora of focus groups, along with tried-and-true consumer research, leads to a lengthy product development process. A lot of back and forth occurs on the benchtops of internal taste-test panels. At some point, a pilot run takes place and, finally, full production.

However, the competitive food bar category has forced nutrition companies to come up with innovative ways to formulate one-of-a-kind, successful products. At Promax Nutrition, for example, Promax 70 Calorie Bars were originally developed as a trial size to introduce consumers to the full-size offering. The smaller, 20 g trial sizes were designed to be “tastes” of the 75 g bars, and were offered to consumers at different venues in 2007—ski resorts, national parks, bike races, golf courses. This outdoor sampling became seminal market research, with consumers asking where to purchase the snack-sized bar.

David Weinberg, Promax’s vice president of marketing, recalled how the company realized people viewed the larger Promax bar as a meal replacement product and were seeking a smaller option. “Consumers tell us they don’t always want a whole energy bar with 200 to 300 calories, but sometimes just a few bites of something good until their next meal,” he said. “These trial sizes, which became the Promax 70 Calorie Bar, solved the problem of what to eat to tide you over between meals.”

Athletes, busy moms and on-the-go students revealed they were drawn to the smaller bars not only for their rich, decadent flavors, including Cookies N’ Cream, Double Fudge Brownie and Nutty Butter Crisp, but because they fit anywhere—in a purse, briefcase, backpack, even a pocket—for an energy boost anytime. In addition, because they have fewer calories than most energy bars, they are ideal for those who are watching their weight (only 2 Weight Watchers® points) or want a between-meal snack. They are also an optimal size for kids’ lunch boxes.

Promax worked with its R&D team to develop a bar that would deliver only 70 calories but pack 5 g of high-quality protein and 1.5 g of fat. The formulators developed a proprietary blend of casein and whey to deliver a one-two energy punch. Research shows casein is a long-digesting protein, helping the body to continuously burn fat and build muscle for a sustained period of time, while whey protein is quickly absorbed. The combination appears to increase protein synthesis while decreasing protein breakdown to properly nourish muscles and provide energy.

To increase the nutritional value, the product development team included several antioxidants, including vitamins A, C and E. Vitamin C supports the cardiovascular system by facilitating fat metabolism and protecting tissues from free radicals, which are potentially damaging by-products of energy metabolism. In addition, the skin, teeth and bones also benefit from vitamin C’s collagen-forming abilities. Vitamin E protects cells against the effects of free radicals and has also been shown to play a role in immune function, DNA repair and other metabolic processes. Lastly, vitamin A helps to form and maintain healthy teeth, skeletal and soft tissue, mucous membranes and skin.

Weinberg noted consumers are becoming increasingly savvy. “It’s not enough anymore to hit a home run in just one area—taste, texture or nutritional value,” he said. “Consumers know what to look for in a protein bar, so we have to continue to be savvy and leading edge in our methods for developing new products.”

Janna King Kalichman is a Los Angeles-based freelance writer.

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