Customized Bar Fortification

Most food companies strive to launch products with wide appeal, but varied consumer demographics, tastes and interpretations make it impossible to please everyone. Add to the mix diverse nutritional and marketing goals, and you glimpse the formulation difficulties bar developers face. Vitamins and minerals, as well as fiber, are popular standards that appeal to wide swaths of the population, and other ingredients that promise benefits for specific segmentssuch as weight loss and gut healthare finding a solid fan base.

Customization options

Each product is unique and requires the development of a custom nutrient formulation that supports the label claims a manufacturer wishes to make, says Ram Chaudhari, Ph.D., FACN, CNS, senior executive vice president, chief scientific officer, Fortitech, Schenectady, NY. He recommends partnering with an experienced nutritional premix formulator at the start of the development process to minimize the challenges associated with not just bringing products to market, but ensuring the product lives up to its label claims and delivers repeat purchase.

Fortification must meet two major hurdles, notes Rodger Jonas, national business development manager, P.L. Thomas & Co., Inc., Morristown, NJ. The ingredient must survive processing and distribution, and the ingredient must not just work, but survive governmental scrutiny for effectiveness.

Bar formulations that incorporate multiple nutrients have many challenges. According to Chaudhari, these include the desired taste, flavor and color of the finished product; solubility; bioavailability; pH level; safety/toxicity; interactions among various ingredients; and bioavailability and stability of the individual ingredients. Factors that can affect stability, for instance, include temperature, pH, oxygen, light and moisture, to name a few.

An example of a potential interaction is a bar that combines thiamine and a dried or puréed fruit treated with sulfur dioxide. This combination can possibly result in immediate degradation of thiamine due to the fruits carry-over of sulfur dioxide. The level of sulfur dioxide should be determined prior to fortification and appropriate overages should be added to compensate for losses, says Chaudhari.

The core challenge is the complexity of the food matrix. Many of these ingredients are multifunctional, so removing or adding new functional-food ingredients may disrupt the total balance of the product, Chaudhari explains. Adding in-demand nutrients together may affect taste, appearance, texture or all three.

Undesirable interactions between the various components of complex foods increase the risk of quality deterioration in a product. Of particular concern is moisture transfer between components with different water activity, says Chaudhari. Other interactions that can affect the sensory quality of a product include the migration of coloring, fats, oxygen and other flavoring substances; plus, the migration of vitamins and minerals is also a concern. These changes present further challenge to taste and limit a products shelf life.

Encapsulated ingredients limit migration and prevent premature release of ingredients that can negatively affect flavor and limit shelf life. Processing methods may also play a role in delivering flavor characteristics to please consumers, Chaudhari continues.

Despite these challenges, bars can be one of the easier products to fortify. They typically wont have an acidic pH and solubility isnt an issue. Most classic-style soft and chewy bars only go through a mixing, forming and drying procedure and are not subjected to the high temperatures required for baked products. Therefore, nutrients degraded by heat can be added prior to processing with minimal loss. Adding nutrients to coatings applied after drying or baking is another option that helps deliver the targeted level, plus it can form a barrier that protects susceptible nutrients from oxidative degradation. Packaging is typically an opaque film that protects vitamins sensitive to light in the visible and near-ultraviolet range, such as riboflavin (vitamin B2) and pyridoxine (vitamin B6).

Many grains, especially whole grains, are naturally high in phytic acid, which is an antioxidant. This compound acts by chelating minerals, including zinc, magnesium and calcium, and may impair the absorption of these minerals. However, some research indicates the grains promote intestinal fermentation by probiotics, enhancing absorption over time.

Ultimately, no amount of nutrients are of benefit to the consumer if they are not bioavailable. Fortification with calcium is popular, but its bioavailability is often questioned, says Joseph ONeill, executive vice president of sales and marketing, BENEO-Orafti Inc., Morris Plains, NJ. He recommends adding oligofructose-enriched inulin, which is said to enhance the bodys absorption of calcium.

Jonas suggests incorporating natural vitamin K2 in heart-healthy formulas. While this ingredient helps direct calcium movement out of the arteries and into the bones, it is used in micrograms of active material, he says.

Bugging the bars

Typically, probiotics are associated with dairy products, but adding these bacteria to bars can up the healthfulness ante. Probiotics are associated with promoting digestive health, boosting the immune system, and enhancing the synthesis of vitamins. However, to deliver what they promise, they must be viable. Earlier probiotics did not survive processing and needed to be added to a coating, says Jonas.

According to Mike Bush, vice president of business development for Ganeden Biotech, Mayfield Heights, OH, a high-survivability strain of bacteria now provides the bar manufacturer with greater options for inclusion. The company uses a patented strain of Bacillus coagulans, which, he says, is able to survive the manufacturing process, the shelf life, and the harsh acids of the stomach, whereas other traditional strains of probiotics cannot survive all of those parameters. Because this strain can grow in both the small and large intestines, it is successful in breaking down carbohydrates and can start working in the small intestine before the bacteria can make it to the large intestine and ferment. Poorly digested carbohydrates make their way into the large intestines, ferment and can cause numerous digestive disorders. This strain can survive in baked goods, hot beverages, cereals and even dry-soup mixes that are then prepared with boiling water.

The No. 1 concern should be whether or not the strain is able to survive in the product you are adding it to, says Bush. Traditional probiotic strains such as Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium have very low survival levels on the shelf, and application options are very limited due to the very high levels of loss in even the most-gentle food-manufacturing process. For a probiotic to have nutritional value, it must survive the manufacturing process, be stable during the products shelf life, and survive passage through the digestive system so it can grow to sufficient levels in the gut.

The stage to add probiotics into bars is dependent upon the manufacturing process and the strain. In some cases, probiotics are added to chocolate or yogurt coatings to help stabilize the cultures, while others may be added directly to the bar material for ease of manufacturing, says Bush. The probiotic dosage depends on the stability of the strain, and what type of manufacturing process the manufacturer utilizes, but, typically, probiotics are administered in doses ranging from hundreds of millions to several billion CFU (colony forming units) per day.

Fermentable fibers

Prebiotic fibers have many of the same properties as traditional fibers, but also provide additional health benefits, such as feeding probiotic bacteria.

Studies by the University of Minnesota concluded that Larch arabinogalactan (LAG) enhances a healthy colon by acting as a food source for the growth of friendly bacteriabifidobacteria and lactobacilli, according to Bryan Rodriguez, technical marketing & scientific affairs manager, Lonza, Inc., Allendale, NJ. Other LAG benefits include decreased pathogenic bacteriaE. coli, Salmonella and clostridia.

Lonzas LAG-based prebiotic fiber functions as an emulsifier, humectant, processing aid and stabilizer, says Rodriguez. It retains moisture in baked goods and has improved dough-handling characteristics. Also, it is effective in lowering water activity in sweetener compositions. It provides film-forming properties for extended shelf life and tack-on aid. He notes that the LAG ferments slowly, offering few digestive tolerance issues, such as gas or bloating. It has also been shown that LAG has no impact on insulin or glucose.

Adding powdered inulin and oligofructose to bars can take fiber to a new nutrition level, says ONeill. Some bars contain up to 9 grams of fiber per serving, with a fiber usage rate of 22% of the serving size. Not only are these ingredients a source of fiber, but they offer prebiotic properties, allowing for structure/function claims of good digestive health. Prebiotics also support a healthy immune function by boosting the bodys own natural defenses, he says.

ONeill suggests adding inulin and oligofructose as a replacement for a portion of the sugars in a bar. The majority of the carbohydrates used in bars include fructose, sucrose, starches and maltodextrin, which can lead to bars that are very sweet. Not only will this reduce the sweetness, but it will lower the overall caloric value. These ingredients are 1.5 kcal per gram as compared to 4 kcal per gram for sugar. One available sweet fiber syrup for use in the nutrition bar segment is a source of all-natural fiber, and acts as a functional binder and a source of sweetness, with sweetness levels 35% that of sugar.

Bring on the bran

Insoluble fibers, such as bran, can also be added to bars for their nutritional value and to increase satiety. Few people in the United States consume the recommended Daily Value of 25 grams of fiber for a 2,000 calorie-per-day diet (30 grams for a 2,500 calorie-per-day diet); the average U.S. dietary fiber intake is only 15 grams per day. Formulating a bar with 5.0 grams fiber or more per serving qualifies as an excellent source of fiber per the FDA, while a product with 2.5 to 5.0 grams qualifies as a good source.

Depending on the formula and serving size, it may be possible to achieve a label claim of good using just a whole grain basefor example oatmeal with its approximately 12% fiber. But most formulations would require fortification with a high-fiber ingredient.

Tonya Armstrong, senior applications scientist, Grain Processing Corporation (GPC), Muscatine, IA, suggests adding corn bran to bar applications in the form of extruded pieces or directly into a bar center. In an extruded piece, like a puff, an upper limit of 40% corn bran can be achieved. The puff could be put in a bar as a good fiber source, she says. The corn bran would work well in chocolate, peanut butter, raspberry or other fruit-flavored bar centers. Weve done a chocolatepeanut butter bar where the corn bran is in the center of the chocolate-coated bar.

GPCs corn bran is 75% minimum insoluble fiber. It holds up very well during processing. The amount of fiber put into the formulation will come out as the same amount of fiber in the finished product, says Armstrong. A lot of people may use it in combination with a soluble fiber, because they want the combination of soluble and insoluble fiber in the formulation.

When working with corn bran, its important to add more water to the formulation. It soaks up to 3 ml of water per gram of corn bran, cautions Armstrong. The additional water that is added to hydrate the bran will help ensure a good formulation with the fiber.

The ingredients that bind

Soluble corn fiber can be used successfully to replace part of the sugar in the bar binding process. Tate & Lyle, Decatur, IL, has used this ingredient at a 10% weight basis of total product, which is equivalent to nearly 25% of the weight of the binding syrup alone. The binding syrup constitutes about 40% of the weight of the total product. This soluble corn fiber has 2 kcal per gram and adds dietary fiber with prebiotic properties, says Lisa Sanders, nutrition scientist, Tate & Lyle. It also can be used in conjunction with bars with added vitamins to help increase the overall health profile of the bar, while simultaneously adding humectancy for a soft, moist and chewy bar.

Adding maltodextrins to the formula can help with moisture retention. Armstrong recommends adding a lower-DE maltodextrin (9 to 12 DE) to improve water holding or softness. Higher-DE maltodextrins (13 to 17 DE) can be used to impart a crisper texture to a bar. GPC offers a line of instant modified starches that can also be used to help improve moisture retention. Armstrong notes this starch has recently been used in an oatmeal-raisin bar.

A low-viscosity modified starch can help bind a bar together. We have a pre-gelled modified food starch which has a very low viscosity, so you can put more of that starch into solution to make a film or act as a binder, Armstrong says. It works really well in high-solid systems. If youve got a 70%-solid syrup youre using for the glue of the bar, you can still put in 2% or 3% of this starch, and it will hold the bar together without affecting the viscosity of the syrup.

Sugarbeet fiber is available in ingredient forms like powders and flakes. The dietary fiber content is about 75%, of which one-third is soluble, says Ramakanth Jonnala, Ph.D., project leader in cereal science, International Fiber Corporation, North Tonawanda, NY. The powdered form increases the softness of bars, whereas flakes help in brittleness. Fiber flakes help in substituting nuts or other high-price ingredients.

Jonnala recommends sugarbeet fiber as a processing aid for incorporation of probiotics, as well as for fiber enrichment. However, he cautions that higher amounts of this fiber may cause a gritty texture in bars. Very high water absorption may cause bar hardening in later stages. Typical use would be 3% to 6%.

Natural oat and potato fibers are tan-colored, naturally bland and odorless, and offer unique functionalities when used in food bars. These are good for extrusion or co-extrusion processes, as fibers are shear-resistant and withstand relatively high temperatures, Jonnala says. Their high water-holding capacity provides humectancy in finished products. They stabilize the fiber network during processing, and they prevent the formation of undesirable crystals from chocolate or cream fillings in bars. Moisture migration from syrups to the fibers may make the finished product hard, he warns.

Purely functional, concentrated fibers include cellulose, wheat fiber, bamboo fiber, sugarcane fiber and cottonseed fiber. Most contain 99% fiber. White wheat fiber contains 94.5%. They can provide potential savings in processing and manufacturing costs.

They are odorless fibers from a natural source, says Jonnala. These fibers can act as flavor and nutraceutical carriers, and are suitable for encapsulation of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants in nutraceutical or healthy bars.

From a technological standpoint, they improve water-binding and retention during processing and in the finished bars, as well as improve the structure-fiber network that can provide strength and reduce breakage. Additionally, they can increase the shelf life of certain types of food bars and reduce tackiness in sticky bars.

At very high levels of usage, hardening and increased chewiness of finished bars may occur during storage due to moisture migration from other systems, advises Jonnala.

Weighing in

Some consumers reach for bars as part of their plan to lose or maintain weight. Patrick Luchsinger, marketing manager for North America, Lipid Nutrition, Channahon, IL, suggests adding conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) to bars. He believes this is the first health ingredient targeted at the weight-management concerns of consumers. The health benefits of our CLA on body composition include reducing the amount of body fat and increasing lean muscle, he says.

CLA triglyceride oil or powder can both be used in nutritional bars. The CLA powder is best utilized when mixing with dry ingredients, says Luchsinger. The triglyceride oil is best suited for mixing with binding mixtures in bars. A full daily dose of CLA is 3 grams per serving. CLA can be added at a full dose or half dose to bars.

CLA can also replace existing fat in bars, notes Luchsinger, without altering the formulation to any great extent. The triglyceride oil and powder forms have a clean taste, meaning that it will not affect the flavor profile of the end-product in food applications.

Careful selection of fortifying ingredients may bring the bar marketer closer to the goal of supplying a product thats not only distinct from competitors products but also builds consumer loyalty. Chaudhari believes bars are an unbeatable category, and the most-convenient form for the delivery of nutrients: Overall health and wellness within the consumer mindset, as it relates to their purchasing decisions, will greatly influence what gets put into the grocery cart during a trip to the local supermarket. With todays on-the-go lifestyle showing no signs of slowing down, the overall bar category should continue to grow in popularity.

Cindy Hazen, a 20-year veteran of the food industry, is a freelance writer based in Memphis, TN. She can be reached at [email protected] .