IN Brief:
- Arla Foods Ingredients is using Nutri Ingredients Summit in São Paulo to introduce its Easy Bite concept to the South American market.
- The 18 g bar is built around Lacprodan® EasyBar, targeting high protein content, stable softness, and a short ingredient list.
- The launch also brings clear protein water concepts into the same discussion, widening the formulation brief beyond bars and snacks.
Arla Foods Ingredients will use the 2026 Nutri Ingredients Summit in São Paulo to introduce its Easy Bite protein bar concept to the South American market, as the company expands its focus on high-protein snacking and adjacent active nutrition formats. The concept will be shown at the event from 31 March to 1 April, with samples available at stand 2-40.
Easy Bite is a bite-sized, 18 g protein bar made with Lacprodan® EasyBar, Arla’s tailored whey protein solution for bar applications. The concept delivers up to 40% protein, is high in fibre, contains no added sugar or fat, and does not use maltitol. Arla says the formulation uses eight ingredients and is designed to maintain softness throughout a two-year shelf life without added collagen or other water-binding ingredients.
That formulation point sits at the centre of the format. High-protein bars remain difficult to balance at scale because texture drift over shelf life, hardening, and formulation complexity can quickly narrow the manufacturing window. Arla is presenting Easy Bite as a route to keeping protein levels high while reducing the need for additional binders and keeping the format compact enough for portion-controlled snacking.
The company is aligning the concept with a broader shift in consumer snack habits across Latin America. Arla cites data showing that 56% of consumers in the region have switched from traditional snacks such as chocolate to high-protein or low-sugar alternatives over the past year. In a separate survey of 1,000 consumers in Brazil, it found that taste, naturalness, and high protein content were the main purchase drivers, while 40% wanted bars with higher protein content. Among consumers aged 25 to 29, that figure rose to 49%.
Ignacio Estevez, Application Manager, South America, at Arla Foods Ingredients, said the company’s bar ingredients are designed to deliver “great taste, high protein content, and soft texture and bite for extended shelf life”. Alongside Easy Bite, Arla will also show clear protein water concepts based on whey protein isolates, including Lacprodan® ISO.Water for ready-to-drink use and Lacprodan® ISO.WaterShake for shake applications with a water-like appearance.
