Developing a successful new product poses many challenges. The risk is even greater when you cut the target audience in half by being gender-specific, and in about half again when the target consumer is an adult. However, nutrition-bar manufacturers are learning that the risk is worth taking if the product delivers what it promises and tastes great at the same time.
“Health-conscious women are a key consumer group purchasing nutrition bars today. Their reasons for purchasing vary widely—anything from meal replacement to weight management to a healthful snacking option,” says Sarah Staley, vice president business development, Friesland Foods Domo USA Inc., Chicago.
But, “bar systems offer unique challenges for formulators,” Staley continues. “Some ingredients are not stable or can interact with other ingredients in the system. Sometimes, processors have to overdose on a functional ingredient to ensure that bioactive levels remain through the shelf life. This can negatively impact flavor, color and mouthfeel, or cause defects such as grittiness.” It’s also important to consider the processing conditions the ingredients undergo and potential interactions.”
Ram Chaudhari, senior executive vice president and chief scientific officer, Fortitech, Schenectady, NY, says: “Bars are an ideal delivery vehicle for nutrients, because they are a convenient way to deliver nutrition for today’s on-the-go lifestyle. They offer the flexibility to pack multiple nutrients into a single bar, enabling them to be nutrient-dense.
In adult women, “consumption levels of several micronutrients, including vitamins A, D, E and B6, and minerals such as calcium, magnesium, zinc and iron, are less than optimal,” continues Chaudhari. “These micronutrient gaps reflect a pattern of weakness in the diet that could be addressed in the development of a targeted, fortified nutrition bar for baby boomer females.”
To make targeted formulation easier, Chaudhari recommends a custom premix of these woman-centric nutrients. “Premixes provide consistency and potency of the fortifying ingredients,” he says. “Further, manufacturing is simplified with a single blend, incorporating multiple ingredients.”
Other micronutrients recognized as playing an important role in the healthy aging of women are lutein and zeaxanthin. “Recent scientific research has revealed that lutein and zeaxanthin go well beyond their widely known eye-protection attributes to provide advanced performance benefits that today’s active women are now seeking,” says Aparna Parikh, marketing manager, DSM Nutritional Products, Parsippany, NJ. “In-depth studies indicate that these ingredients help to reduce the blinding effects of glare, enhance the eye’s ability to filter damaging blue light and improve contrast acuity. Lutein and zeaxanthin enable manufacturers to give women the eye-health benefits that they want, opening up a wealth of new profit opportunities.”
Packing in protein
According to a 2009 consumer study conducted by Summit Research, Atlanta, and commissioned by Dairy Management Inc.™ (DMI), Rosemont, IL, a majority of women believe there is a clear, direct link between consuming high-quality protein and long-term health and body-toning benefits. Further, DMI consumer research shows that body-toning messages hold the most potential to reach women, giving them a compelling reason to increase consumption of a high-quality protein, such as that obtained from whey.