Nutritional Growth Solutions, Ltd. (NGS, ASX:NGS) introduces its Healthy Height Snack Bar for supporting growth development in children in the US and Canada. The new, patented, science-based snack-bar line is said to contain growth-boosting nutrients needed to fuel a child’s growing body, including vitamins, minerals, protein, and amino acids.
The Healthy Height Snack Bar line comes in two flavours specifically designed to appeal to kids’ palates, Cookies & Cream and Strawberry Cupcake. “Our snack bars have a sweet taste kids love, yet are low in sugar, while high in the protein, vitamins, and minerals kids need,” said Liron Fendell, CEO and Managing Director of Nutritional Growth Solutions.
“My children enjoy eating them daily as preferred snacks. As a busy mom, the bars are especially beneficial as an on-the-go snack instead of the typical kid snacks loaded with sugar and artificial colours.”
New bar launches for children tracked by Innova Market Insights in the US show a compound annual growth rate of +11.3% (CAGR, 2016-2020).
According to Innova, in response to parents interest, kids cereal bars are increasingly focusing on making gluten-free, protein, and whole-grain claims, representing 50%, 24%, and 24%, respectively, of new product launches. “GMO-free” and “no additives or preservatives” claims are prevalent on cereal bars for kids, globally. Parents increasingly seek products that support specific aspects of children’s health, including protein for growth, calcium for strong bones, plus vitamins and probiotics for immunity.
The new Healthy Height bars are formulated with the same nutritional profile as the NGS patented shake range that is clinically proven to help increase growth development in children aged three to nine years. It has been shown to help children grow in height and weight with 1-2 servings per day over a six-month period. Each bar is a single serving. (The bars are intended for use as supplemental snacks, and should not be considered as meal replacements.)
Research-based
Two top medical professionals in pediatric endocrinology, gastroenterology, and nutrition were behind the research and development of the Healthy Height formulation: Moshe Phillip, MD, Professor and Director of the Institute for Endocrinology at the Schneider Children’s Medical Center of Israel, and Raanan Shamir, MD, professor and Director of the Institute of Gastroenterology, Nutrition, and Liver Diseases at Schneider. Shamir also has served as the president of the European Society for Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Nutrition (ESPGHAN).
A randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled study published in the Journal of Pediatrics showed that children who included Healthy Height in their diet for a one-year period added 13.8% to 34% to their annual growth in height.
Healthy Height contains only the highest quality ingredients, including 12g whey protein per serving, and no corn syrup or additives. It is gluten-free, soy-free, non-GMO, and includes 350mg of the vital amino acid arginine per serving. It also is low in sugar and sodium.
Creating the perfect bite
During the development stage, NGS invited kids three-nine years old to taste samples of the bars in different flavours and textures, while providing feedback based on a set of predetermined criteria. The input received was extremely valuable and helped the R&D team finalise the great-tasting bars.
The Healthy Height line is manufactured in a solar-powered facility, using a unique custom extruding process. Formulating and producing flavourful snack bars that meet the specific nutritional parameters of its existing patented shake mix was challenging. Some of the vitamins and minerals posed flavouring and colour challenges. The vitamin C and iron were interacting in the bar and causing unfavorable colour and flavour issues. To resolve this problem, the company utilised ingredients that would naturally add vitamin C and iron. The addition of acerola powder contributed the vitamin C and maca root powder contributed the iron.
“Our patented formula was developed after more than 20 years of research on the link between nutrition and growth in children,” explained Fendell. “Both forms of Healthy Height, the shakes and snack bars, are ‘picky eater approved’ to help parents seeking alternative options for children who might not qualify for growth hormone therapy.”
Made in the US, Healthy Height snack bars (in addition to the shake powder formula) are available on the Healthy Height website. NGS currently is seeking multiple distribution channels to ensure maximum coverage in the market, helping kids achieve their optimal height potential without compromising flavour, texture, or convenience.
Image Credit: Nutritional Growth Solutions
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Kiran Grewal
Editor, International Confectionery
Tel: +44 (0) 1622 823 922
Email: editor@in-confectionery.com
