Phenolaeis launches functional chewy granola snack for private label

Image courtesy of Phenolaeis

Phenolaeis (Cambridge, MA) has developed a prototype called First Date: Date and Oat Bites, a clean label chewy granola product with four premium functional ingredients to support mood and energy. According to Phenolaeis, a consumer-first approach was used to develop the prototype, which is now available for private labeling.

“Most ingredient innovation teams operate within the strengths of, and familiarity with, their own products. Phenolaeis worked backwards. Rather than just developing a product around our Palm Fruit Extract, we started by identifying consumers’ unmet wellness benefit desires, then proactively finding and collaborating with best-in-class partners to meet those needs,” explained Phenolaeis CEO Kevin L. Ohashi, PhD, MBA, in a press release.

“The result is a great-tasting, clean label premium product with four premium, functional ingredients inside, in effective dosages, that complement one another. What you won’t see are ingredients that are in there for the wrong reasons, or for no reason,” added John Musselman, vice president of sales and marketing. “Delivering a snack product to consumers at the intersection of great taste, convenience, and mind/body wellness is just the beginning of our new approach to innovation. Be on the lookout for additional products such as functional coffees, confectionaries and nutraceuticals.”

The gluten-free, non-GMO, and trans-fat free snacks contain dates, palm fruit extract, Suntheanine from Taiyo International (Minneapolis, MN), Bioenergy Ribose from Bioenergy Life Science (Ham Lake, MN), and raw coffee powder, also from Taiyo. Dates are sweet and flavorful as well as rich in antioxidants, fiber, potassium, and protein. Dates complement the palm fruit extract because they are each rich in polyphenols that the other has the lowest concentration of. Suntheanine is a 100% pure L-isomer-theanine that supports a relaxed but alert mental, and Bioenergy Ribose is a patented combination of D-ribose and vitamin B3 that supports endurance, enhanced physical performance, reduced muscle soreness, improved heart function and better metabolism. The raw coffee powder supports natural sustained energy without the negative side effects of traditional caffeine products.

“Phenolaeis is proactively taking a leadership position in solutions-based product innovation to benefit our partners and consumers. For example with First Date, we have created direct relationships with Taiyo and Bioenergy Life Science, which makes collaboration and creativity happen faster,” explained Ohashi. “That’s something usually done through a layer of brokers. We are streamlining and simplifying the go-to-market process for premium formulations.”