Abbott forays into US snack bars with Curate launch

US infant formula and pharma group Abbott Laboratories has announced the launch of a snack bar line to cater to growing demand for “nutritious” snacks that have “rich, complex flavours”.

Curate bars, available in the US at major grocery stores, will feature “real food ingredients” Abbott said today (9 February). 

“Even with countless nutritious snack options in store, people told us they still weren’t quite satisfied and were often looking to make their own snacks using ingredients from their kitchen,” Dustin Finkel, general manager for nutritious snacks at Abbott, said. “We saw this as an opportunity to create a snack brand that tastes handcrafted, with rich textures and flavours you would expect from a chef and blends of ingredients you can find in nearly every grocery or natural food store.”

The snack bars comprise ingredients such as mission figs, marcona almonds, balsamic vinegar, quinoa, chia seeds and elderberry.

The line will feature six flavour options. Abbott promises the bars are a “good source” of plant-based fibre, contain protein and are free of artificial preservatives, flavours or colours. They are also non-GMO and gluten-free.

“I often hear from people that they would love to make their own snack bars, but they simply don’t have the time,” said culinary nutritionist Katie Cavuto. “Curate bars are a great alternative to a homemade snack and they contain plant-based fats and are a good source of fibre. Plus, each bar comes in under 200 calories and boasts around the same amount of protein as one medium-sized egg. The unique sweet and savoury flavour composition paired with the bar’s impressive nutrient profile creates a satisfying snack and helps to minimise less nutritious, impulse snack choices.”