The truth about protein bars

Last November, a new research report was launched by safefood revealing that chocolate is the main ingredient in almost 40% of protein bars surveyed, with many also being high in saturated fat and containing added sugar and salt. The research also found that over one in three people (37%) surveyed think protein bars are “healthy”. When comparing current protein intakes among adults with what’s recommended, both men and women are already consuming more protein than they need.

The safefood research looked at the nutritional content of 83 highprotein snack foods and drinks available for sale in supermarkets on the island of Ireland. These foods included protein bars, yoghurts, yoghurt-style products and milk drinks. According to industry sources, there was a huge increase in products launched between 2010 and 2016 with a high-protein claim. Introducing the research, Dr Catherine Conlon, Director of Human Health & Nutrition, safefood, said, “We’ve witnessed a signi cant and consistent upsurge in the number and variety of foods and drinks for sale which claim to be ‘high-protein’. From bars to milks and yoghurts, high-protein foods have now become mainstream in our supermarkets. When we asked people about protein bars, a third of them thought they were healthy. However, many of these bars are, in reality, highly processed foods with a calorie content similar to that of a bar of chocolate”.

( The full report “A survey of highprotein snack foods” is available to download at www.safefood.eu)