Making Protein Bars WORK with Arla Foods Ingredients

“Should you’re going to do one thing, do it proper.”

In a world the place enterprise runs from deadline to deadline, chasing quarterly income targets with reckless abandon, we typically neglect the previous adage within the sentence above. However in terms of protein bars, high-protein snacks, and useful meals, more true phrases have by no means been spoken.

In comparison with the standard complement launch, there’s much more on the road when growing “higher for you” meals. The competitors’s by no means been stiffer, with protein-fortified snacks on the cabinets that legitimately rival sweet bars. Shoppers concurrently demand higher-quality, better-tasting, and more healthy choices — and the market is delivering on these calls for.

Higher Protein Bars Want Higher Protein Sources

There’s one key piece that separates the winners from the losers on this area. Misplaced within the commotion of flavors, textures, and toppings in trendy protein bars and brownies is the only most essential a part of the product — the protein itself!

Arla Meals Elements is shaking up the business with clear whey protein isolates that really style good, however when do manufacturers decide which one?

As customers and types have sorely discovered, your common six-month previous protein bar is totally completely different from one which’s contemporary out of manufacturing. After 12 months, most of them are headed to the cut price bin, and at 24 months, they’re mainly paperweights. Even worse, we’ve additionally seen how mould can flip a protein brownie right into a disaster.

Product deterioration and defects flip into returns from each prospects and retailers, which turns into misplaced cash, and worst of all, broken status for the model.

Repeatedly, business formulators and meals scientists have discovered that not all protein powders are the identical, particularly when creating useful meals. On the earth of protein bars, brownies, and cookies, you want supplies which might be delicate, steady, bind properly, correctly maintain moisture, and keep that method. These aren’t protein shakes — these are meals to be chewed, and so they’re far harder to get proper.

Arla Meals Elements: The Trade Chief in Proteins

Fortunately, there’s one firm devoted to the science of proteins that has a number of options to excellent the artwork of protein bar growth: Arla Meals Elements.

A subsidiary of Arla Meals, the world’s fourth largest dairy firm, Arla Meals Elements has established themselves because the world’s premier modern milk-based protein provider. We’ve coated Arla Meals Elements’ Clear Protein Options prior to now, which incorporates Lacprodan® ClearShake, Lacprodan® ISO.WaterShake, and Lacprodan® BLG-100.

ISO.WaterShake is a transparent whey protein isolate ingredient from Arla Meals Elements that brings an unbelievable style and mouthfeel with out the sticky texture and astringency of different clear whey substances!

At SupplySide West, we have been even given a have a look at the way forward for protein, the place the Arla Meals Elements workforce confirmed us the potential of their protein powders in each meals and drinks. After tasting a brand new protein brownie on the 2024 Arnold Sports activities Competition, we needed to be taught what made these bars completely different.

It seems that Arla Meals Elements has quite a few protein powders designed particularly for useful meals purposes. And when manufacturers determine to make use of them, it makes a world of distinction. This text covers these choices, explaining the variations between them, and when manufacturers and formulators ought to use each.

Earlier than diving in, join our Arla Meals Elements information alerts, so that you simply get notified of latest science and merchandise using their improvements:

Protein Bar Issues to Forestall

The times of blindly combining protein powders with some syrups and binders are lengthy over. We now know that there are quite a few pitfalls that may derail a useful meals product launch:

Water Exercise – That is the supply of water in a product, which impacts its shelf life and security. Excessive water exercise can result in microbial progress and spoilage, whereas low water exercise can lead to a dry and crumbly texture.
Binders – Binders assist maintain the bar collectively, affecting its texture and chewiness. Nonetheless, improper use of binders could make the bar too sticky or too exhausting, negatively impacting the buyer expertise.
Glass transition temperature – That is the temperature at which the protein or different parts within the bar change from a viscous and fluid state to a glassy, and extra hardstate. It impacts the feel and stability of the bar, notably throughout storage.
Maillard response – This can be a chemical response between amino acids and decreasing sugars that happens throughout cooking or storage, resulting in browning and adjustments in taste. Whereas it will probably improve style, it could additionally scale back the dietary worth and alter the feel.
Hydrolysates – Protein hydrolysates are damaged down proteins which might be simpler to digest. Nonetheless, they’ll additionally result in bitter tastes and have an effect on the feel of the bar, making it softer all through shelf-life. or extra susceptible to moisture retention.

And to not neglect, moisture loss, water migration, hydration, section separation, decreasing sugars, powder particles, pH, and particularly which protein supply to have within the matrix — all of which can influence the ultimate protein bar.

As you possibly can see, that is now not newbie’s science — protein bar manufacturing has change into a critical enterprise, and types must take it significantly. Fortunately, Arla Meals Elements has saved all of those points in thoughts when growing their protein merchandise for useful meals and bars:

Arla Meals Elements Protein Options for Bars and Snacks

Arla Meals Elements supplies a variety of modern options for enhancing the feel, style, and dietary profile of protein bars. They’ve 4 predominant protein powders and two texture enhancers to assist manufacturers and builders, no matter whether or not they’re beginning a brand new undertaking or enhancing an present product:

Nutrilac® PB-8420

Nutrilac® PB-8420 is the unique Arla Meals Elements protein powder developed for the useful meals area. It’s a flexible and user-friendly protein answer that’s typically described as a “plug and play” choice as a result of its ease of use in varied formulations.

Nutrilac® PB-8420 is 83% protein content material by weight (dry matter), and combines high-quality milk proteins and hydrolysates to ship unbelievable useful advantages that surpass the usual whey protein concentrates that have been used earlier than it.

One in all its standout options is its sturdy shelf lifetime of two years, although well-formulated bars with this ingredient typically stay steady and efficient properly past this era. This makes Nutrilac® PB-8420 a superb selection for producers searching for a dependable, long-lasting protein ingredient for useful meals, notably in protein bars and snacks.

Lacprodan® ISO.WheyBar

On the alternative finish of the spectrum, Lacprodan® ISO.WheyBar represents the head of protein purity and high quality within the useful meals market. This premium ingredient is particularly designed for individuals who prioritize clear and high-protein macros of their dietary routine, seen extra typically within the highly-demanding sports activities and energetic diet markets.

Comprising 91.5% protein by dry matter, Lacprodan® ISO.WheyBar blends speciality whey protein isolate, milk proteins, and hydrolysates that’s designed for producing premium protein bars and different comparable purposes, which have excessive content material of whey protein isolate and a very good texture.

This makes it ideally suited for the extra performance-driven customers who demand the very best in protein supplementation. Past its spectacular dietary profile, Lacprodan® ISO.WheyBar is formulated to make sure stability and consistency, providing a dependable answer for creating high-protein bars and snacks that preserve their texture and style over time​.

Lacprodan® SoftBar

Lacprodan® SoftBar, with 88% protein by dry matter, is designed for creating the softest textures in high-protein snacks and bars. This protein answer excels in sustaining a young and indulgent texture all through the product’s shelf life, making it ideally suited for more difficult bar productions.

SoftBar’s versatility extends to compatibility with well-liked substances like peanut butter, making it an appropriate selection for keto-friendly merchandise. This ingredient is ideal for producers aiming to create indulgent protein bars with a delicate texture and superior style, addressing frequent points like textural deterioration and firmness​.

Lacprodan® SoftBar is especially efficient in merchandise like protein brownies, offering a nice mouthfeel and style expertise that appeals to customers. Its formulation consists of high-quality milk proteins and hydrolysates, guaranteeing not solely a excessive protein content material but additionally glorious solubility and stability.

Lacprodan® EasyBar

Lacprodan® EasyBar stands out as a flexible and extremely useful protein answer, providing 85% protein by dry matter. This ingredient is particularly developed for co-extrusion processes, making it ideally suited for a variety of protein bars and snacks. EasyBar combines high-quality milk proteins and hydrolysates to make sure a delicate texture all through the product’s shelf life. Its distinctive formulation is especially efficient for sustaining softness, making it appropriate for indulgent protein bars and snacks that require a constant, pleasing texture.

In relation to layered, multi-textured protein bars, Lacprodan® EasyBar is a must-use, particularly when searching for to attain a excessive protein content material in each layer. It’s not solely designed to ship that top protein content material, but additionally to supply a delicate and gratifying consuming expertise, particularly in additional advanced product formulations akin to multi-layered bars.

Whether or not paired with wealthy flavors like chocolate or creamy substances akin to peanut butter, EasyBar ensures that the ultimate product stays interesting and high-quality. This makes it a best choice for producers aiming to create versatile, delicate, and indulgent protein snacks.

Arla Meals Elements’ Texture Enhancers

Arla Meals Elements’ capabilities transcend uncooked supplies for brand spanking new protein bar tasks — they’ll additionally improve the feel of present merchandise. They’ve two texture enhancers that may be swapped into present recipes to enhance texture and/or change maltitol:

Lacprodan® TexturePro

Lacprodan® TexturePro is designed for protein bars and can be utilized to get rid of the necessity for maltitol, a commonly-used sugar alcohol in sugar-free and low-carb merchandise that functionally brings softness. The purpose is to enhance the feel of protein merchandise with out maltitol, which might trigger digestive points and GI misery for some customers.

Arla Meals Elements suggests swapping out 1-5% of the present bar’s composition with TexturePro to attain important texture enhancements. This answer may help preserve the feel and high quality of protein bars whereas decreasing the sugar alcohol content material, making the product extra interesting to a broader viewers — with out necessitating a whole reformulation.

Lacprodan® HYDRO.PowerPro

Lacprodan® HYDRO.PowerPro is a whey protein hydrolysate developed by Arla Meals Elements, designed to supply the advantages of conventional whey protein hydrolysates with out the standard bitter style, which is commonly a barrier to shopper acceptance.

Arla Meals Elements Lacprodan® BLG-100 is a pure beta-lactoglobulin protein powder that takes clear proteins to the subsequent degree with the next ratio of leucine than whey protein isolate!

This product has been particularly formulated to be 50% much less bitter than different hydrolysates in the marketplace with the same diploma of hydrolysis (21-27%). HYDRO.PowerPro can be utilized in protein bar formulations, by swapping out 2-5% of the present bar’s composition and enhancing the shelf-life over time with a extra delicate texture.

These substances are designed to enhance each the dietary and texture of sports activities protein bars, making them extra interesting to customers​, with out disrupting a whole formulation that’s near market or already in the marketplace.

Additional, these premium-quality substances are non-GMO (not genetically modified via using trendy biotechnology) and include no pesticides or antibiotic traces. Kosher and Halal certifications can be found as properly.

Taking protein bars significantly

Watch the webinar titled Protein Bars 360° – From Idea to Shopper, and also you’ll see how significantly Arla Meals Elements takes the science — and artwork — of protein bar manufacturing. With their very own in-house Software workforce and their very own manufacturing take a look at facility, they’ve the tools and know-how to supply unbelievable treats, together with lots of the ones that they pattern at quite a few business commerce exhibits like SupplySide West.

Working example, Arla Meals Elements has tools to check the hardness, correlated to the consuming expertise. They’ve outline the buyer threshold for protein bars, and developed proteins that keep properly beneath that for 2 years or extra!

A Chew Power Chart courtesy Arla Meals Elements. See their Protein Bars 360° webinar to be taught extra.

To assist prospects huge and small, Arla Meals Elements develops recipes along with their prospects, and a few can be found to be used of their literature. Builders can take them, tweak them, add their most popular flavors, take a look at them, and have a product destined for long-term success with minimal work.

Arla Meals Elements’ Software workforce can even present assist with their substances, and might get intently concerned with bigger shoppers to make sure worldwide success.

Protein Bar Growth: An Artform Simply as A lot as it’s a Science

Protein powder is the principle character of any protein bar. It may be delicate and opulent, or it may be the principle purpose why a product turns into exhausting or chewy. Excessive-protein snack growth is not only a science, it’s an artform that requires a number of trial and error.

Because of Arla Meals Elements, you will get additional protein into your coating/enrobing as properly! See their Protein Bars 360° webinar to be taught extra.

Fortunately, Arla Meals Elements has examined their substances for years, and has options for high-protein snack purposes, whether or not it’s for a brand new undertaking or enhancing an present one.

This market has skilled important progress that’s not going to gradual. Shoppers are more and more demanding clear, high-protein, low-sugar choices, and types can not face up to the adverse monetary influence and status of a batch of bars gone exhausting. Arla Meals Elements can assist each ends of this downside set, serving to you create the subsequent innovation in useful meals.

Join our Arla Meals Elements information alerts beneath, watch their Protein Bars 360° webinar, and see the principle Arla Meals Elements Able to Eat web page for extra info.