Gut health app and nutrition brand Zoe has launched a “nutrient-dense and deliciously chewy” bar, which will be available exclusively via its UK website.
The bar – named the Gut Health Bar – is described by the company as “the opposite of UPF snack bars”. It comes in two variants – Dark Chocolate & Sea Salt and Raspberry & Goji Berry – and is high in dietary fibre and plant protein, low in sugar, vegan and contains no preservatives, artificial sweeteners or emulsifiers.
It is not the first time Zoe has launched products. In 2024, it launched a supplement containing over 30 plants and 35 different types of fibre, designed to be sprinkled on food exclusively into Waitrose stores. The same year it teamed up with M&S to launch a milk-based gut health shot.
“The UK is undeniably a nation of snackers, but for too long, the snacking food category has optimised for convenience over nutritional quality and gut health,” said Professor Sarah Berry, chief scientist at Zoe.
“Snacking itself isn’t the issue; it’s the poor quality of what people are eating. Our research shows that snacking the right way can be highly beneficial for your gut microbiome and overall health,” Berry added.
The brand described the supermarket snack aisle as “a minefield”. “Many products marketed as ‘healthy’ or ‘high in protein’ are ultra-processed, low in fibre, and packed with sugars, additives, and emulsifiers that lack nutritional value,” it said.
Zoe’s own research shows 95% of the UK population consumes snacks regularly, typically around two snacks per day, accounting for 25% of an individual’s daily intake of calories.
Only 28% of Brits consider their snack choices healthy and 70% feel misled by ingredients lists, the research found.
Zoe’s new bar must be bought in boxes of 12, costing £33 plus £4 postage. Discounts are available for app subscribers.
It is “designed to be savoured, not inhaled. It has a deliciously chewy texture with many whole ingredients that take time to eat. This is intentional, and is something most bars lack,” Berry added.
Snack bars – particularly protein bars – have found themselves central to the UPF debate, following a Channel 4 consumer shockumentary late last year, which saw fitness influencer Joe Wicks create a protein bar packed full of additives, emulsifiers and sweeteners but still within legal thresholds and approved for sale.
Zoe co-founder Professor Tim Spector took umbrage to the show, arguing in an opinion piece for The Independent that “turning nutrition into a horror story isn’t the answer”.
The show “feeds the same kind of fear and confusion that’s already rife in food culture. People don’t just need more fear; they need a better understanding and practical help,” he noted at the time.
No comments yet