New Zealand dairy company Fonterra has developed an energy bar prototype said to far exceed similar products on the market.
The product, developed by Fonterra's marketing and innovation team for New Zealand's 2003 TransAtlantic Rowing Challenge team, contains a new bioactive milk ingredient produced by the firm.
"We need a fuel source that is light to carry, easy to eat, and provides the energy levels we need for optimum performance. The bars developed by Fonterra far exceed any commercial product on the market," said campaign manager and race-record holder Rob Hamill.
Emily Small, marketing services manager of Fonterra's Health & Nutritional Solutions division (HNS), said the formula on which the bar is based will form part of a product range aimed at a variety of consumers, including young children and the elderly, who would benefit from energy-dense products.
"We are continuing to refine the original formula to ensure it is up to date with the latest sports science and nutrition advances, and the race provides us with an exciting opportunity to test the latest prototype and contribute to the New Zealand campaign," she said.
The company revealed little detail about the formulation, but said the lipid-based formula means it packs almost double the energy of carbohydrate-based equivalents.
Small said the bar showed Fonterra focusing more on consumer trends and needs to help customers with product development.
The company has already received a number of enquiries about the bar. HNS is hoping to gain customer interest in the ingredient and see it commercially launched as a consumer product through a customer partnership.