bake - May/June 2022 - 44

foodservice
Plant-Based Protein Bars
Snacking has disrupted the conventions around how people eat.
Consumers now snack almost constantly, blurring the line between
what constitutes a snack and what constitutes a meal,
according to Mintel. The idea of a snack as something consumed
between meals only has evolved.
In the United States, research shows that 62% of healthy
snackers say they sometimes eat snacks in place of a meal. This
" snackification " of our eating habits is driving incredible growth
in the sector, according to Kerry.
North America is the leading market for protein bars, according
to Kerry's Protein Bar White Paper. More than half (52%)
snack bar consumers in North America recognize protein content
as one of the most important characteristics.
Also of note, 71% of consumers associate plant protein as
healthy, compared with 42% linking animal-derived protein as
healthy.
For bakeries, one of the best ways to capitalize on this growing
trend for snack bars is to invest in efficient and productive
equipment.
Reiser and Vemag have designed a variety of bar extruding
and bar forming systems for all types of applications and production
requirements. This solution combines a Vemag Portioner
with a bar shape forming extruding attachment. A Reiserengineered
waterwheel flow divider is added for multiple-lane
production. Use the Vemag Bar Former to produce all types of
formed and extruded bar products - cookie bars, energy bars,
nutrition bars and more.
44 < MAY-JUN 2022 | bakemag.com
At the heart of the system lies the Vemag Portioner. The
Vemag features a powerful, positive displacement double-screw
pump that provides the highest levels of portioning accuracy.
The double-screw transports product extremely gently and
without smearing or crushing large, delicate particulates.
The Reiser-engineered Waterwheel attachment is a flow divider
that connects to the Vemag Portioner. The Waterwheel divides
the product flow into multiple lanes with equal portions from
each outlet. Weight accuracy is guaranteed across each lane.
Reiser's Bar Extruder attachment produces a continuous flow
of formed product with consistent thickness and width. The extruder's
integrated cutoff device controls the length of the product
and ensures exact-weight portions with clean, even edges.
The Bar Extruder is designed for easy changeover from one
shape to another.
As with many other food categories, consumers are increasingly
scrutinizing the ingredient lists of snack bars and seeking
to avoid those with artificial additives. The share of snack bar
launches with a natural claim peaked in 2017 at 58% and has
not declined since, according to Kerry. However, many of the
launches still contain ingredients consumers seek to avoid, such
as emulsifiers.
Considering the historic negative image of protein bars due
to perception of being highly processed and with high sugar
recipes, brands are now being pressured to reformulate with
simpler ingredients and be more transparent about recipes and
on-pack information.
KERRY
http://www.bakemag.com
bake - May/June 2022

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