The challenge

Today’s consumer wants more from a bar.

They often want a product that is packed with dense nutrient value, but tastes like a sweet treat—one of the largest challenges our industry faces. On top of that, of course, quality and consistency are paramount to obtaining and maintaining trust and brand loyalty.

When this particular customer wanted to create a new, great-tasting functional bar in the sports nutrition category, they looked to us for guidance and expertise on how to go about bringing their ideation to life in a way that would be more attractive to their target audience.

The process

This customer had a vision of creating a new, delicious sport bar while staying within desirable nutritional levels, particularly with specific protein targets in mind. To do this, they brought us in at the ground level to begin with precise and innovative R&D.

Incorporating protein into recipes can be tricky; too much, and the product yields an unpleasant gritty texture. Too little, and the nutritional value disappears. Our team dug into this project, developed various formulas, and created multiple prototypes that satisfied the customer’s precise nutritional targets without sacrificing a delightful taste experience.

However, we didn’t stop there. We took their nutritional vision a step further, and considered how else we could best serve their target consumer with different bar formats.

The results

Ultimately, we were able to do both. After rigorous development and testing, the final product was a complex multilayered bar, with soft and crispy textures, an indulgent chocolate-caramel flavor profile, and an uncanny resemblance to a candy bar.

The combination of nutritional value, taste, and texture in this bar made this product a winner. That wouldn’t be possible without the seasoned expertise of our R&D teams, who not only innovate on ingredient and taste formulations, but also stay tuned in to any and all rising consumer trends. Being able to marry the two in a product is when we know we’ve played a role in the creation of something truly special.