Arla Foods Ingredients Launches A Plug-And-Play Protein Bar Solution

Danish-Swedish company Arla Foods Ingredients (ARI) has developed a plug-and-play solution to help manufacturers create indulgent bars with high protein content in every layer. ARI develops and manufactures whey-based ingredients in various industries, including bakery products, drinks, and dairy, as well as clinical, infant, and sports nutrition. In addition, the company manufactures child nutrition solutions for other companies.

According to the company, the plug-and-play system will enable producers to "build delicious bars with high-protein content in every layer." The novel formula contains premium whey and milk protein components from the Lacprodan category of the corporation. Affluent chocolate mass ensures that the flavor and softness of the chocolate remain throughout the shelf life, and each bar includes 30% protein, allowing for high-protein claims. As a "plug-and-play" solution, brands can utilize it as is or as the foundation for their formulations.

A 2020 Global Trend Study by HealthFocus International shows that protein bars are replacing candy bars in convenience stores and supermarkets. It's a trend fuelled by rising consumer interest in protein, which has risen from 69% in 2014 to 80% by 2020. Indulgent chocolate bars offer customers a pleasing array of layered textures. Protein bars, with their essentially homogeneous mass, are not often capable of doing this.

Furthermore, the study reveals texture has been shown consistently to influence consumer confectionary bar selection. Textural twists, for example, were highlighted as a particularly beneficial strategy for addressing younger age groups, with 7 in 10 worldwide consumers agreeing that texture made food and beverages more engaging.