Arla kicks off protein bar product line with new whey concept

Dairy giants’ novel whey protein mix improves texture and shelf-life of peanut butter protein bars

Danish dairy behemoth Arla is trialling a new protein bar product line using a nut butter whey protein ingredient mix that increases the shelf-life and improves the texture of protein bars.

The Lacprodan SoftBar concept combines a dairy and whey protein ingredient which delivers a soft texture alongside peanut butter and increases the protein content of the bar to up to 37%.

An Arla statement said the company is seeking to bridge the gap between health and indulgence as research firm HealthFocus International has reported 55% of consumers struggle to find indulgent snacks they believe to be healthy.

Joe Katterfield, sales development manager for health and performance nutrition at Arla Foods, said of the product: “We’re always looking to expand our technological capabilities and we were particularly excited to commission our new bar line.

“It’s optimised to replicate industrial mixing, extrusion and enrobing processes, as well as flow-wrapping into the wrapper, and it will increase our understanding of the production processes used by the industry today,” Katterfield added.

The company will also provide its functional ingredient as a B2B offering for other food businesses.

“This will further improve the expert support we offer bar manufacturers and reinforce our position as the go-to partner for specialised dairy and whey protein ingredients,” Katterfield added.