Snac World - May 2017 - 32

STATE OF THE INDUSTRY

A Bar for Every Occasion
A

merican consumers continue their love
affair with nutritional bars. Bars are a perfect
platform for producers to offer clean, healthy
ingredients, functional attributes, portable convenience
and bold, unique flavors. In addition, they can be configured to meet the demand for just about any snacking
occasion - between meals, after exercise, meal replacement or even better-for-you indulgence.
It is no surprise that snack and granola bars commanded more than $5.1 billion in sales, with the
nutritional/health value bar segment bringing in more
than $2.4 billion and growing 4.8% for the 52 weeks ending Feb. 19, 2017, according to IRI's quarterly US snack
market report. Bars deliver the kind of dense nutrition
that appeals to today's consumers who seek healthier
ancient grains, nutritious seeds and nuts.
"The bar category for a decade has been growing,
and it's because producers were able to be everything
to everyone. Bars are convenient, there's a lot of variety,
and they are readily available," said Sally Lyons Wyatt, IRI
executive vice-president and practice leader, at SNAXPO
2017. "It's not just the old granola bar anymore."
There had been a shift toward more savory flavors
and plant-based proteins, according to a 2015 Packaged
Facts report, but lately bars that offer meat as a protein
source are becoming more popular. Protein-packed bars
laden with other healthy ingredients have long been the
go-to for athletes and serious fitness enthusiasts, but
the myriad of appealing bar characteristics have moved
these snacks more mainstream.

Amplify Snack Brands features a unique offering in
the protein bar space. Its Oatmega bar boasts a whopping 14 g whey protein from New Zealand cows that are
pasture-raised and antibiotic-free. One bar also provides
a daily dose of DHA & EPA Omega-3 to support brain
and heart health.
Nutritional bars are a handy way for consumers to
consume smaller portions of food through snacking.
Bars offer every type of free-from claim, as well as lowered sugar and fat content and cleaner labels.
In 2016, KIND Snacks launched two seasonal
flavors, Caramel Almond Pumpkin Spice and Dark
Chocolate Hazelnut Spice, as well as its Pressed by
KIND line of bars.
"Pressed by KIND is our first-ever bar made with only
fruit and chia seeds or only fruit and veggie ingredients,"
said Stephanie Perruzza, dietitian and health and wellness specialist, KIND Snacks, New York.

Top Bar Brands
Product

Dollar sales
($mil)

Total Snack Bars/Granola Bars

5,115.4

Nutritional Health value Bars

Unit Sales
(mil)

%Change

Volume Sales
(mil lb)

2.1%

1,722.4

-0.6%

783.2

%Change

%Change
1.2%

2,442.2

4.8%

814.7

-0.7%

270.2

1.6%

Clif

350.1

16.1%

129.8

1.1%

50.6

8.1%

General Mills Fiber One

220.7

-18.5%

58.9

-19.0%

32.8

-17.6%

Nature Valley Protein

140.6

5.3%

30.5

-5.1%

20.5

3.8%

Atkins

127.3

-2.8%

16.2

-3.1%

10.6

-0.9%

KIND Nuts & Spices

110.6

11.5%

42.8

4.9%

7.1

11.4%

Pure Protein

110.2

7.0%

25.3

-9.7%

9.8

5.2%

Quest Bar

109.1

29.4%

37.2

25.8%

6.0

29.6%

Think Thin

107.0

19.9%

42.0

13.0%

9.3

21.0%

Zone Perfect

96.0

-3.4%

26.4

-11.9%

11.2

-2.3%

Clif Builders

84.5

7.1%

23.7

-0.1%

9.4

6.8%

SNAC World

May 2017 www.snacintl.org

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Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Snac World - May 2017