Snact launches bars from unwanted bananas to tackle food waste

24 Aug 2017 --- With the aim of creating snack bars made from "unwanted and unloved" bananas, Snact has launched of a trio of banana snack bars which are due to hit shelves in the UK at the beginning of September. The bars are set to coincide with the rebranding of their pre-existing fruit jerky range.

The bars have been created as part of Snact’s #deliciousprotest campaign to "create more taste and less waste" and aim to help reduce the number of edible bananas being thrown away in Britain every day, by using fruit that would otherwise have gone to waste.

Ilana Taub, Snact director told FoodIngredientsFirst: "We expect customers to love our bars. We have tested them with buyers and consumers alike at different stages of their development and now in their final recipe – the feedback has been extremely positive. They're a great snack: they're balanced (fruit, veg, nuts, oats), less than 130 calories, delicious and good for the planet – what else could you really want?"

“We're also super excited about the new branding we've just unveiled and loved the look of our banana bars which stand out quite a lot against other ones in the market,” she explains. 
 
Wrapped in cutting edge home-compostable packaging, the bars are bound to be a hit with eco-conscious consumers, but the brand’s owners are keen to point out that the bars are as much about "taste" as they are about waste. Offering one of the first mainstream natural snack bars that use bananas, rather than dates, as their main ingredient there are three mouth-watering flavors, all based on natural wholesome ingredients, in the range, in the form of Apple & Cinnamon, Carrot & Spice and Beetroot & Cacao.

“We developed the flavor combinations based on a mixture of factors,” notes Taub. “Firstly, looking at where there is surplus, wanting to create a nutritionally balanced bar that has no 'natural' flavorings or other additives, and looking at existing popular flavor combinations that people like. We were also keen to use vegetables where possible.”

“Each ingredient has a purpose, it's not just there as a filler. We wanted to put nuts to have healthy fats and balance the sugar of fruit - but we're including a variety of nuts, not just one type. You might see bars called 'brownie' or 'apple crumble,' we just wanted to keep ours simple with the name of the bar based on the ingredients that were in it. We think the flavors we picked will work well because they're flavors which people are familiar with but made up of only clean wholesome ingredients,” she says.  

The bars also hit the spot from a nutritional point of view and are vegan-friendly, gluten-free, provide a host of important vitamins and nutrients, have less than 130 calories each and all without a flavoring, colorant or artificial sweetener in sight.

Ultimately the result is a tasty snack that provides slow-release energy and balanced nutrition to help fuel people’s days, whether they have a late night finish in the office ahead or are about to climb a mountain – they just happen to save the nation’s unwanted bananas in the process.

“We’re really excited about the launch of the bars. The Crowdfunding campaign has clearly demonstrated that people get what we’re doing and we hope retails buy into our vision too,” Taub adds.

“The success of natural ingredient snack bars in supermarkets and health stores is clear to see, but with almost all of the bars using a date base, there is surprisingly little diversity in taste and texture. We’ve been out taste testing with bar samples and nearly everyone we’ve spoken to say they prefer the banana base, which gives the bars a deliciously soft and moist texture, which is perhaps not surprising given it’s the nation’s favorite fruit.”

“It’s exciting to launch the bars on the backdrop of a campaign based around reducing food waste, which is something we’re passionate about and which is becoming higher on the agenda for everyone, whether politician, supermarket owner or consumer, and it’s clearly not something which is going to go away anytime soon,” she finalizes. 

By Elizabeth Green