High-Protein Nutrition Bar with Improved Texture and Shelf-Life

Prosecution History:

Intercontinental Great Brands LLC filed UK priority applications no.

1. GB2211369.1 on 4 August 2022; and
2. GB2211692.1 on 10 August 2022

On 8 February 2024, international application WO2024028752A1, was filed claiming priority to both applications 1 and 2.

While priority application 1 was withdrawn on 4 December 2023, priority application 2 (which claims priority from 1) was granted as publication GB2621193B on 7 August 2024, and is discussed below.

The international application is pending in the international phase.

UK Patent GB2621193B:

Protein bars often suffer from dryness, and adding water to improve texture can result in sogginess and reduced shelf-life.

Consequently, many protein bars that offer high protein content and a long shelf-life, frequently lack desirable organoleptic properties like texture and moistness.

In August 2024, Intercontinental Great Brands LLC was granted UK patent GB2621193, titled “A Nutrition Bar, a Base-Cake for a Nutrition Bar, and a Method of Forming the Nutrition Bars.”

Nutrition bar Composition:

Wtih reference to the illustrated example, the patent [1] claims a base-cake (5) for a nutrition bar (1) which has a water activity (aW) of 0.5 to 0.65, and includes 50 wt.% protein.

Water activity is defined as the ratio of the vapor pressure of the food in equilibrium with its surroundings to the vapor pressure of distilled water under identical conditions.

The protein content of the base-cake (5) comprises of 25-35 wt.% calcium caseinate; 20-30 wt.% whey protein; and 38-45 wt.% beef collagen.

The base-cake (5) can be unbaked, with ingredients that allow for formation through mixing and compaction, which may speed up production and help preserve the proteins.

The patent further claims a nutrition bar (1) that includes a coating layer (20) that substantially encloses the base-cake (5), a fat-based crème layer (10) on top of the base-cake (5), and one or more texture additives (15) embedded in the crème layer (10).

The fat-based crème layer (10) may act as a barrier between the texture additives (15) and the base-cake (5), maintaining the desired texture of the bar (1).

Base-cake Specifications:

The base-cake (5) may contain 15-25 wt.% glycerine, 10-20 wt.% fat, and up to 10 wt.% cocoa powder. Its water activity (aW) is preferably between 0.58 and 0.62.

Additionally, the nutrition bar may include a further 10 wt.% protein source such as wheat or pea protein, bringing the base-cake’s protein content to 55-65 wt.%.

Fat-based crème layer:

The fat-based crème layer (10) may be an anhydrous filling containing at least 25 wt.% fat.

Texture Additives:

The texture additives (15), or “onclusions,” may include biscuit fragments, fruit chunks, crushed nuts, protein crisps, or chocolate chips. These additives have a particle size of 1 to 5 mm, with particles below 1 mm substantially ommited.

Positioned on the fat-based crème layer (10), the additives (15) avoid direct contact with the base-cake (5), helping to preserve their texture.

Coating Layer:

The coating layer (20) may be a sugar-free chocolate or compound coating, typically 2 to 3 mm thick.

The coating layer (20) may serve as a barrier to prevent moisture loss from the base-cake (5) and moisture migration to the texture additives (15), which are also structurally held in place by the coating layer.

Final product:

The final product (1) may be made up of 60 to 70 wt.% base-cake (5); 10 to 20 wt.% fat-based crème layer (10); 1 to 6 wt.% texture additives (15); and 15 to 25 wt.% coating layer (20). The nutrition bar (1) according to the invention may achieve a shelf-life of at least 9 months.

Production Method:

The patent also covers a method for forming the nutrition bar (1), which includes:

• preparing a base-cake premix with at least 50 wt.% protein, including calcium caseinate, whey protein, and beef collagen;
• rolling the premix into a base-cake sheet with a water activity of 0.5 to 0.65
• applying a fat-based crème layer to the sheet
• adding texture additives on top of the crème layer to form a composite sheet
• dividing the composite sheet into nutrition bar precursors
• enrobing the precursors with a coating layer to create the final nutrition bars

The production method may help avoid the need for individual extrusion of each bar, enhancing overall efficiency and mass production.

Conclusion:

The patented invention may offer nutrition bars that combines high protein content with desirable organoleptic properties – including a moisture and texture – as well as a long shelf-life.

References:

[1] GB2621193B A Nutrition Bar, a Base-Cake for a Nutrition Bar, and a Method of Forming the Nutrition Bars https://worldwide.espacenet.com/patent/search/family/084546210/publication/GB2621193B?q=GB2621193B

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