Press release: Healthier children’s snack solutions promise to please both kids and parents

Under strict embargo until: 8am CET Tuesday, 6 September 2016

Arla Foods Ingredients has developed a suite of protein and calcium-rich snacking solutions for kids that offer a healthier alternative to chocolate bars and other popular children’s snacks.

According to research, snacks now account about one quarter of the calories American children consume [1]. In tandem with this, there is growing concern over obesity rates among children, which means the role of snacking in their diets is now under greater scrutiny than ever before. As a result, demand is increasing for kids’ snacks that taste great and offer good nutrition – which is not always an easy balance to achieve.

To enable manufacturers to create healthier, tastier snacks for children, Arla Foods Ingredients has launched a selection of new product application solutions. All have been benchmarked against existing kids’ snacks options to ensure they represent a superior option in terms of improved nutrition.

Among the solutions in the range is a delicious and easy-to-eat 35g ‘dairy bar’ that offers as much calcium per serving as in one glass of milk. It is 20% protein and low in calories. Benchmarked against a typical chocolate bar, it contains one third less energy and, since more of the calories come from protein, energy release in the body is optimised. This helps youngsters to feel fuller for longer than they would with confectionery, where more of the energy comes from sugars.

Other innovative application solutions in the new snacking range include a yoghurt bar, a healthier dessert, a carbonised drinking yoghurt and a snack cake with less than 100 calories per serving.

Kasia Lindegaard, Customer Marketing Manager at Arla Foods Ingredients, said: “When they are given the choice, most kids will choose snacks that are fatty and sugary because they prefer the taste. The challenge for parents, therefore, is to buy and offer them healthier products they will still enjoy but which are better for them. For food manufacturers, this presents an excellent opportunity to meet a clear need in the market. Now, with these new dairy-based kids’ snacking solutions, there is an easy way to develop new products that will appeal to both parents and children.”

The kids’ snacking application solutions have been launched under Arla Foods Ingredients’ Goodness of Dairy* campaign. This highlights how dairy ingredients are key to tapping into growing consumer demand for food that is natural, healthy and delivers great taste and texture.

*Protein contributes to growth in muscle mass, and calcium is needed for the maintenance of normal bones

ENDS

For more information contact:
Richard Clarke, Ingredient Communications
Tel: +44 7766 256176
Email: richard@ingredientcommunications.com

About Arla Foods Ingredients

Arla Foods Ingredients is a global leader in natural whey ingredients for products in a range of categories – from sports, clinical and infant nutrition to beverages, bakery, dairy and ice cream. The cornerstones of our business are innovative ingredients, world-class facilities and a staff of dedicated experts. Drawing on our portfolio of functional and nutritional whey proteins, milk minerals, lactose and permeate, our expert team delivers solutions that bring new food products quickly and efficiently to market. Our application centres run hundreds of customer product trials every week. All ingredients are produced using state-of-the-art processing technology at our plant in Denmark, or by one of our joint ventures in Argentina, Germany and the UK. Arla Foods Ingredients Group P/S is a 100% owned subsidiary of Arla Foods, a global dairy company and cooperative owned by dairy farmers in Denmark, Sweden, the UK, Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium and Luxemburg.

RSS Feed

Visit our website at http://www.mynewsdesk.com/arla-foods-ingredients and sign up to our News RSS feed for all the latest developments – updated regularly.

Twitter

Follow us on twitter for all the latest updates @ArlaIngredients

LinkedIn

http://www.linkedin.com/company/arla-foods-ingredients

Facebook

https://www.facebook.com/arlaingredients

[1] Branscum, P and Sharma, M ‘Using the Theory of Planned Behavior to Predict Two Types of Snack Food Consumption among Midwestern Upper Elementary Children: Implications for Practice’ Int Q Community Health Educ January 2012 vol. 32 no. 1 41-55 doi: 10.2190/IQ.32.1.e