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3/27
1998
110
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Harried Americans
Crave Energy Bars
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Special to The Jewish News
there are 56 bars on the market today,
compared with just eight less than 10
years ago. Some say the industry could
top $500 million by the end of the
decade. In the midst of this power-
bar boom, experts caution consumers
about ignoring a balanced diet or too
often replacing a meal with a fortified
snack. They also note that some bars
are better choices than others.
"All sport bars are not created
equal," Dr. Paul Saltman, University
of California San Diego professor of
biology and nutrition, says. "Look at
those rascals. You could just as well be
eating a Snickers and chewing a
Centrum."
The Food and Drug
Administration is keeping an eye on
the growing energy-foods industry and
is skeptical as well. "There's no indica-
tion that these products present any
I is lunchtime, also known as the
30-minute dash. And it's one of
those days. You have errands to
run, an office crisis to hurdle
and your 8-year-old has informed you
she needs tempera paints to finish her
art project. For Open House, which is
tonight.
You need the strength of Hercules
and the speed of Mercury. But you are
a mere mortal and, by the way, you're
running on empty. Do you sprint to
the cleaners and dash to the art supply
store, or do you do something about
your rumbling stomach? You don't
have time for everything, and the
clock is tick, tick, ticking away.
You could always power down an
energy bar. That's one of the options
deskbound, stressed-out
and overscheduled urban
Olympians are grabbing
onto when they have to
skip a meal.
There are dozens of the
bars on the market with all
sorts of fun names like
Tiger Sport, NutraBlast,
Thunder Bar, Think! and
PowerBar, which is by far
the best seller. Designed for
athletes to deliver a quick
punch of energy, the bars
are a pocket-size source of
carbohydrates, protein,
sugar, vitamins and miner-
als. Convenience and
portability are making the
bars popular — and very
profitable. Energy bars are
part of a $300 million
energy-foods industry.
From August 1996, to
August 1997, PowerBar
sales tracked by
Information Resources
Inc., a Chicago-based mar-
ket research firm, showed
an almost 20 percent
Power bars: nutritious and delicious?
increase. With nearly
$27.4 million in sales in
magical property," Arthur Whitmore,
locations other than sports stores or
spokesman for the FDA's Center for
health-food shops during that time,
PowerBar is ringing up more than four Food Safety and Applied Nutrition,
times the sales of its nearest competi-
says. "Energy comes from calories. A
good diet of good foods is the best
tor, Met Rx. The Clif Bar is farther
way to sustain energy for daily activi-
back in the race, with about $3.7 mil-
lion in sales.
ties, including sports."
So, how do the bars stack up? Our
Clearly, business is booming.
taste-test panel tried 14 name brands
According to the Marketing
Intelligence Service in Naples, N.Y.,
in flavors ranging from Chocolate
Almond Coconut Raisin to
Christine Huard writes for Copley
Cappuccino to Chocolate Peanut
News Service