Mindful & Meaty: DNX protein meat bars to line shelves of Sprouts Farmers Market

01 Mar 2018 --- DNX’s high-protein meat based bars will be lining the shelves of an additional 290 Sprouts Farmers Market stores in the US, DNX Foods founder John Rooney tells NutritionInsight. DNX Foods sold its first meat based bar in 2016 and has seen impressive growth over the past year in what company officials are calling an enthusiastic response to growing consumer demand for a meat-based protein bar.

“We are the only bar that offers the gold standard in each animal protein (i.e., grass-fed beef/bison and free-range chicken) mixed with certified organic fruits and vegetables that result in a nutrient-dense bar with balanced macros (approximately 33 percent protein, fat, carbs),” Rooney tells NutritionInsight.

The bar taps into a number of high-level trends, as identified by Innova Market Insights, such as Antibiotic Free and Meat Snacks. In a market that is saturated with fruit and nut flavors, a meaty taste is proving popular. The share percentage of global meat snacks within the total meat, fish and egg category has risen slightly from five percent in 2014 to six percent in 2017 YTD, Innova Market Insights data show.

There is a meaty, masculine tone around the packaging and wording of the bar, which has had mass appeal among Paleo, Keto and CrossFit enthusiasts. Unsurprisingly, these are all lifestyle choices that are favorite topics in the gym weight-rooms. The bars claim to be high-protein and great for fitness, but they are also proud of their transparency, “We focus on people who have a strong desire to eat healthily and, importantly, know what eating healthy really means,” Rooney notes.

The bars are “free of gluten, hormones, antibiotics and added sugar.” Innova Market Insights data indicates that Antibiotic-free meat and eggs are a salient theme, with 73 percent of Americans believing that most chicken meats contained antibiotics. Although in reality, the number was much lower, there is a significant drive to market anti-biotic free meat to consumers.

DNX’s health bars also contain healthy organic fruits and vegetables like dates, sweet potatoes, goji berries and coconut oil. The bars can be found in more than 500 stores in flavors including two grass-fed beef recipes - Sweet Potato Pecan and Mexican Style Seasoning - and one grass-fed bison recipe - Jamaican Style Seasoning. Rooney says that new products are on the horizon as the company plans to broaden their appeal to an even larger, more diverse audience.

In related news, NutritionInsight’s sister website FoodIngredientsFirst has previously reported that Antibiotic-free pre-packaged deli meat is growing at a rate four times faster than conventional pre-packaged deli meat.

By Laxmi Haigh