How protein bars pushed into the mainstream [Interview]

Protein bars have evolved from niche, active nutrition, ready-to-eat snacks targeted at athletes, to healthy confectionery that tastes great and appeals to a much broader audience. Henk Jan Neerhof, Vice President of R&D at EMPWR Nutrition Group, has seen such a shift firsthand, and will be at Vitafoods 2024 to share his experiences and insights in this growing segment.

Becoming a popular lifestyle product

“I’ve worked in the bar sector for over 22 years,” he explains. “At that time, bars were a small part of the business. We were working on all different product types for potential new markets, for example in the lifestyle, organic, or diet ranges.”

Neerhof found himself increasingly focused on formulating new bar products, as this was emerging as a particularly fast-growing product segment. This led the company to focus on specifically developing bars at the B2B level.

“I can remember that the European market back then was still not so big,” he says. “When we spoke with our big US ingredient suppliers, they would say we were a key European customer due to our potential. While Europe was still mainly focused on small volumes and speciality outlets, protein bars in the US were already a mainstream lifestyle product that could be found in supermarkets.”

Nonetheless, the protein bar market has been growing year-on-year in Europe. Improvements in taste and texture have been critical to attracting a wider target audience, and to raising consumer awareness of various product ranges. “Protein bars are reaching a wider target market, by becoming closer to confectionery,” says Neerhof. “And this is still going on.”

Formulating for a fast-moving market

Neerhof also touches on the popularity of the bar category itself as a healthy snack alternative. “Bars have always been seen as an ideal food product to bring specific nutrition to consumers,” he says. “This means you can build a bar from nutritional blocks. Bars also offer long shelf-life – and they are, of course, easy to eat on-the-go.”

Moving towards confectionery means the taste and texture of the bars has never been more important. “Getting a protein bar to taste good, and have good texture, really requires a knowhow of ingredients and technology,” adds product marketing manager, Stefanie Holvoet. “It is not that easy to get good-tasting bars. We believe our expertise and experience here are what make the difference.”

At Vitafoods Europe 2024 (14-16 May, Geneva), Neerhof will demonstrate how textures within protein bars have evolved. He agrees that getting great texture requires experience.

“This is a very fast-moving market,” he says. “Some of the bars we were making five years ago no longer exist, and have been replaced by newer and better formulas. The innovation pace in our industry is very high. Still, it remains a challenge to find a high runner that lasts for more than a decade. Innovation and quality demands from brands are always increasing, which means that even successful bar lines on the market are constantly evolving. At present, demand is really high for core bars with a liquid filling and soft dough textures, offering more indulgence to the end consumer.”

Neerhof notes that bars currently on the market promising high protein must also increasingly deliver on low or no added sugar. He predicts that consumers will continue to demand taste and texture alongside nutrition. The mainstreaming of protein bars is also likely to lead to more defined product differentiation, with formulations targeted at specific nutritional demands. “There is still a lot of work to do,” he says.

Learn more at Vitafoods Europe 2024!

Neerhof’s presentation at Vitafoods Europe is entitled ‘From gym bag to confectionery aisle: The evolution of protein bars into healthy confectionery’, and will chart the story behind the rise of protein bars as a guilt-free indulgence.

Neerhof will share case studies that demonstrate how the lines between protein bars and traditional snacking categories have blurred. He will also look at how formulators have developed new flavours, textures, and packaging to appeal to a broader audience beyond fitness enthusiasts.

EMPWR Nutrition Group is a Gold Sponsor of the Vitafoods Europe Conference this year, under the ‘Sports Nutrition and Active Lifestyle’ theme.

For more information about its products, click here.