Consumers want transparency from the packaged foods they purchase, and what better way to showcase the ingredients in a product than with a food bar. Whether used for energy, meal replacement or snacking, food bars have become the go-to food for an increasing amount of consumers who don’t have time to eat a square meal at home.

With clever product packaging, food bars can visually showcase their ingredients, whether they are nuts, seeds or fruits. To bind these ingredients, bar manufacturers are turning to honey. Not only does it perform key functional roles in bars, including binding and mouthfeel, but it also gives bars a sweetness from an all-natural ingredient.

This is key to consumers that are looking to replace meals from a snack that is perceived as healthy and natural. In addition to the health halo honey offers bars, the sweetener is also a pure source of energy, with 17 grams of carbohydrates per tablespoon.

The Honey Fruit Bar uses a combination of raisin paste, honey, rolled oats and cookie flour to deliver a great tasting meal replacer with a health halo.

Procedure:

This formula was created using a Rheon co-extruder. Mix stage one ingredients for one minute, scrape and mix for two minutes, scrape, and mix for one minute. Add stage two ingredients and mix for one minute, scrape, and mix for two minutes. Add stage three ingredients and mix for one minute, scrape and mix for two minutes, scrape and mix for two and-a-half minutes. Desired temperature of the dough after mixing is 86°F (±2°F). Extrude onto belt. Cut into 3.5-inch bars, flatten to 1.5 inches. Target bar weight is 37 grams. Bake at 450°F for approximately 8 minutes. Yield: approximately 370 bars using 208.63 grams batch weight.

Source: National Honey Board, www.honey.com