Development Stages of a Nutrition Bar

With the rapid growth of the sports nutrition and energy bar market, both large and small food producers are viewing this market with interest. As external factors cause consumer loyalties to shift and the number of product variants within this category evolve, opportunities will follow. For many, the goal is to produce something new, with unmatched quality, and the flavors that capture attention and define a brand.

Getting Started - The process for developing a nutrition bar begins with ideation. That is, the generation of your concept, selecting your bar category and developing your product.

As the product begins to take shape it will enter the critical development process. Typically, this process contains several stages which can take weeks or months to complete. Some of those stage may look like this:

Research - The goal here is to identify trends, consumer preferences, and gaps in the marketplace. This research will inform your manufacturing decisions, choice of ingredients, recipe creation and lay the building blocks for your marketing message.

Formulation - The heaviest and most complex phase of development. Depending on the size and experience of the manufacturer, it's not uncommon for this stage to be broken down into more manageable progress markers. Whether housed under a single umbrella or in subsections, this stage typically includes recipe development, ingredient selection, taste, texture, testing and refinement. Prototypes are developed, feedback is accumulated and improvements are incorporated into your process.

Production and distribution - At the conclusion of the formulation stage, your ingredient selection, flavor balance, consistency, and recipe will all be close to final. Sales teams will finalize the distribution channels and you’re ready for full production.

Packaging and marketing - Communicating brand identity, product value and driving consumer demand is the purpose of your marketing plan. How, where and to whom you present your product will determine your success. Your marketing message and packaging must align with your brand values and be in sync with the needs of your audience.

Launch - Multiple sales channels will help your product launch, but too many can overwhelm production and distribution. Experienced manufacturers may choose to work with familiar partners to ensure a smoother launch and gauge consumer demand before ramping up production.

Improvements - Quality monitoring and customer feedback will guide where improvements are needed and help optimize the production process. The willingness of a manufacturer to adapt to feedback can have a significant impact on success.

Overall, the production process for developing a healthy snack can take anywhere from a few months to over a year, depending on the complexity of the snack and the resources available to the company.