Press Release
SOURCE: ConsumerLab.com
Sixty Percent of Nutrition Bars Fail to Meet Claims in ConsumerLab.com Tests
- 'Low Carb' Bars Often Loaded With Carbohydrates; Excess Sodium and Saturated Fat Also Found -

WHITE PLAINS, N.Y., Oct. 30 /PRNewswire/ -- ConsumerLab.com, an independent evaluator of dietary supplements and nutrition products, released results today of its Nutrition Bar Product Review. Often marketed as protein bars, energy bars, meal replacement bars, or diet bars, these products have become as ubiquitous as snack or candy bars -- although nutrition bars are generally larger and claim to contain significantly more protein. Neither the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) nor any other federal or state agency routinely tests nutrition bars for quality prior to sale. ConsumerLab.com purchased 30 products and tested them for the accuracy of their label claims of calories, fats, carbohydrates, sugars, proteins, cholesterol, and sodium.

An alarming 60% of the products did not meet their label claims upon testing, with only 12 products passing the review. Undeclared carbohydrate was the most common problem. In f
act, 15 of the 30 products tested exceeded claimed levels of carbohydrates -- often by as much as 20 grams, despite claims by some to be ``Low Carb.'' One possible explanation for this discrepancy may be the practice of some manufacturers not to count the ingredient ``glycerin'' as a carbohydrate on nutrition labels. Glycerin is commonly used in bars to add moisture and sweetness and the FDA requires that it be counted as a carbohydrate on labels. However, this rule is not always followed and the FDA has, in response, sent warning letters to some manufacturers to correct their labels or face legal action. In addition, the FDA has warned manufacturers that the term ``Low Carb'' is not an authorized nutrient content claim and should not appear on labels.

Sugars (which are a type of carbohydrate) were found to be higher than claimed in eight products. These products contained, on average, an extra 8 grams of sugar -- equivalent to about two teaspoonfuls.

The testing also found that seven products contained more sodium than stated on the labels -- some with more than twice the claimed amount. Two products exceeded the claimed amount of fat, respectively, by three grams and one and one-half grams. Four products had higher than claimed amounts of ``saturated'' fat (associated with an increased risk for heart disease). One bar, for example, claimed one gram of saturated fat but had nearly three times that amount. All of the products were within range of their protein and cholesterol claims.

``Other than for the twelve products that met their claims, consumers must take nutrition bar label information with more than just a grain of salt,'' cautioned Tod Cooperman, M.D., President of ConsumerLab.com. He advised: ``If a bar claims less than 15 grams of carbohydrates, be skeptical; if it claims only 2 grams, don't believe it. If you're diabetic, know that the amount of carbohydrates coming from sugar may be much higher than the label indicates. If you're concerned about salt, assume that you may be getting two to three times what it says on the label. If you eat a lot of nutrition bars, try to minimize the saturated fat intake in the rest of your diet, as you may be getting more than you expect from the bars. And know that some bars contain additional ingredients, such as caffeine or even ephedra, so be cautious -- particularly before offering them to kids.''

The complete list of nutrition bar products that passed the review, a comparison chart of their ingredients, as well as ConsumerTips(TM) on buying and using nutrition bars are now available to ConsumerLab.com's online subscribers at http://www.consumerlab.com. General findings and examples of approved products are also available free from the Web site. Similar information is available online from ConsumerLab.com's Product Reviews for Asian and American ginseng, calcium, chondroitin, CoQ10, creatine, echinacea, ginkgo biloba, glucosamine, iron, MSM, multivitamins/multiminerals, phytoestrogens (soy and red clover isoflavones), SAM-e, saw palmetto, St. John'''s wort, valerian and vitamins C and E. Other Product Reviews scheduled for release in coming months include omega-3-fatty acids and B vitamins. ConsumerLab.com's Guide to Buying the Best Vitamins, Herbs and Supplements is scheduled for publication next year. To further assist consumers, ConsumerLab.com licenses its flask-shaped CL Seal of Approved Quality (see The CL Seal) to manufacturers for use on products that have passed its evaluations.

ConsumerLab.com is a leading provider of consumer information and independent evaluations of products that affect health and nutrition. The company is privately held and based in White Plains, New York. It has no ownership from or interest in companies that manufacture, distribute, or sell consumer products. Subscription to Consumerlab.com's Product Reviews is available online. Parties interested in purchasing comprehensive Product Review Technical Reports, licensing content, or requesting testing of additional products may contact Lisa Sabin, Vice President for Business Development, at --Send a PM--.

SOURCE: ConsumerLab.com
http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/011030/nytu059_1.html

from Consumer Labs, as referenced in the News Release... there's more information there, folks.

http://www.consumerlab.com./results/nutbars.asp

Background:

Types of Bars:
Nutrition bars go by many names including "meal-replacement bars," "energy bars," "protein bars," and "diet bars." Nutrition bars are generally much larger by weight than snack bars (such as granola bars) or candy bars (such as chocolate bars) and have a much higher protein content — generally 10 grams to 30 grams of protein in a nutrition bar versus little or no protein in a snack bar or candy bar.

A typical nutrition bar weighs about 60 grams and contains 25 grams of carbohydrates (half from starch and half from sugar), 15 grams of protein, and about 5 grams of fat (of which 3 grams are saturated). About one-quarter of the weight generally comes from water. This typical bar would provide 205 calories, with approximately 49% from carbohydrates, 29% from protein and 22% from fat (13% from saturated fat) (see ConsumerTips™ for how to calculate calories).

Although definitions are not well established, "energy bars" tend to claim to contain more carbohydrates, while "diet bars" (also called "weight loss" bars) generally claim to contain fewer carbohydrates. "Meal-replacement bars" are typically the largest of the nutrition bars — weighing 70 to 90 grams — and have proportionally higher amounts of carbohydrates, proteins and fats, while "protein bars" are simply higher in protein. Some bars are combinations (such as a "meal-replacement, protein bars") while others do not claim any specific purpose. Bars may also include vitamins and minerals or other ingredients permitted only in dietary supplements, such as ephedra, and therefore must be labeled as supplements, rather than foods. Consumers should read labels carefully before using nutrition bars or offering them to children.

How Much Nutrition Do They Provide?
The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) recommends that most adults who perform light to moderate activity get roughly 2,000 to 3,000 calories per day from a varied diet in which about 60% or fewer calories come from carbohydrates, at least 10% come from protein (meats and vegetable proteins), and about 30% come from fats — with less than 10% of calories coming specifically from saturated fat. Healthcare professionals tend to suggest a somewhat higher percentage of calories from protein (15% to 20%) and a lower percentage from carbohydrates, although recommendations vary. Nutrition bars can help provide some of these nutrients but they are not recommended as a total substitute for food. One downside to many nutrition bars is that they tend to be relatively higher in saturated fat. On the other hand, most bars claim to be low in salt and cholesterol, with a typical bar containing about 150 mg of sodium and generally fewer than 10 mg of cholesterol. The USDA recommends a maximum of 2,400 mg of sodium and 300 mg of cholesterol per day based on a 2,000 calorie diet for a healthy individual.

A concern among bar products, however, is whether they contain what is stated on their labels. For example, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has sent warning letters to several manufacturers who have failed to include certain ingredients in the carbohydrate counts stated on their products. Some labeling discrepancies can be spotted by calculating the expected calories in a product, based on the protein, fat and carbohydrate contents on the label, and seeing if the total matches the declared calories (see ConsumerTips™). However, most problems, and the magnitude of such problems, can be determined only with laboratory testing. Neither the FDA, nor any other federal or state agency, routinely tests nutrition bars for quality prior to sale. ConsumerLab.com, as part of its mission to independently evaluate products that affect health, wellness, and nutrition, purchased samples of many of the nutrition bars sold in the U.S. and tested their nutritional claims.

Testing & Results:

In April and May 2001, ConsumerLab.com purchased a total of 30 nutrition bars (see How Products were Selected). Only 5 of the products did not make a claim for any particular use. Among those that did, 12 were labeled as protein bars, 10 as diet bars, 8 as meal replacement bars, and 5 as energy bars (10 products claimed two of the categories and are, therefore, counted twice in this list). Many bars, particularly those for diet, carried claims of being "Low-Carb" or "Sugar-Free", and some were labeled as "dietary supplements," as opposed to food products, because they contained ingredients only approved for use in supplements, such as ephedra or hydroxymethyl butyrate (HMB) (see ConsumerTips™ for information about these ingredients).

The products were analyzed to determine their total calories, total carbohydrates, total sugars, total protein, total fat (including a breakout of saturated fat), sodium and cholesterol. Results were evaluated to determine if the products' labeling claims were accurate (see Testing Methods and Passing Score).

Out of 30 products tested, an alarming 60% failed to meet their labeling claims and only 12 products passed on all criteria. Most likely to fail were the protein bars (only 1 out of 12 passed), followed by meal-replacement bars (1 out of 8 passed), and diet bars (4 out of 10 passed). Most likely to pass were bars that did not specify any particular use (all 5 passed), followed by energy bars (4 out of 5 passed). (Note: Three of the products that failed were combination products and are counted twice above.) The reasons why products failed are indicated below; many of the products failed on more than one criterion.

Carbohydrates and Sugars:
The most common problem among the products was finding undeclared amounts of carbohydrates. In fact, a full one-half (15) of the nutrition bars exceeded their claimed levels of carbohydrates, often by large amounts. One product, which described itself as a low carbohydrate diet bar, claimed only 2 grams of carbohydrates, but was found to actually contain 22 grams. A clue as to why this discrepancy existed was a statement written in small type on the product's label indicating that it contained glycerin but that the manufacturer was not counting glycerin as a carbohydrate (contrary to the FDA's position that glycerin be considered a carbohydrate). Glycerin is commonly used in nutrition bars because it adds a sweet taste and moist texture. Many (14) of the products that exceeded their claimed levels of carbohydrates listed glycerin as an ingredient and it is possible that they, too, did not count it as a carbohydrate. The FDA has been sending warning letters to manufacturers about this deceptive practice, informing them that it is in violation of the law. Warning letters have also been sent to manufacturers indicating that the term "Low Carb" is not an FDA-authorized term and should not be used — unlike the terms "Low in Saturated Fat" or "Low Sodium" which carry specific legal definitions.

The results indicate that none of the nutrition bars were particularly low in carbohydrates. Among the bars that passed, carbohydrates contributed approximately 40% to 70% of calories.

Sugars are also counted as carbohydrates and must be shown separately on labeling. Eight products exceeded their sugar claims (6 of these also exceeded their total carbohydrate claims). On average, these products exceeded their claims by 8 grams (2 tsp) of sugar. The average sugar content in bars that passed was about 10 grams per bar.

Sodium:
Sodium (from salt and other sodium-containing ingredients) can elevate blood pressure and is of particular concern to people whose blood pressure is already elevated. Seven products were found to contain more sodium than declared on the label. In fact, four were found to contain 2 to 3 times the claimed amount of sodium, one of which claimed 125 mg of sodium per bar but actually contained 285 mg of sodium. Products that passed had sodium levels ranging from 50 mg to 240 mg per serving. As a reference, "Low Sodium" products must have no more than 140 mg of sodium per serving. A daily intake of more than 2,400 mg of sodium may put even a healthy person at a risk for developing hypertension.

Fat and Saturated Fat:
Two products exceeded their claimed amounts of fat, respectively, by three grams and one and one-half grams. Four products had higher than claimed amounts of "saturated" fat (associated with an increased risk for heart disease). One bar, for example, claimed one gram of saturated fat but had nearly three times that amount. As a reference, a product claiming to be "Low in Saturated Fat" must have less than one gram of saturated fat per serving. Among the products that passed, two had only 0.5 gram of saturated fat per serving, while most others that passed had about 3 grams per serving.

Calories:
All of the products except two were found to have listed their total calories accurately. However, actual calorie counts often far exceeded the calories one would expect from calculating calories based on the labeled amounts of carbohydrates, proteins, and fats listed in the Nutrition Facts or Supplement Facts panels on the products (see ConsumerTips™ for how to calculate calories). In other words, although truthful about the total number of calories, many products "hid" the components that provided the calories — particularly carbohydrates, as described earlier.

Cholesterol:
All of the products were within an acceptable range of their cholesterol claims. Most products had less than 5 mg of cholesterol per serving and only a few claimed as much as 10 mg. These are relatively low amounts of cholesterol (the USDA recommends staying under 300 mg of cholesterol per day).

Protein:
All of the products were within an acceptable range of their protein claims.

Examples of some of the products that passed ConsumerLab.com's independent testing of nutrition bars, grouped according to the usage indicated on their packaging. Also shown are the declared weights of the bars and levels of fats, saturated fats, cholesterol, sodium, carbohydrates and sugars, protein, and calories — all of which were checked in testing. An additional column provides a link to complete Nutrition Facts or Supplement Facts as listed on each product as well as its listed ingredients.

EXAMPLES* FROM THE CONSUMERLAB.COM APPROVED QUALITY NUTRITION BARS
Product
Name (Flavor)/Bar Size
Manufacturer or Distributor
Nutrition or Supplement Facts on Label
(Figures are per bar unless otherwise noted)

Total Fat / Sat. Fat
Chol.
Sodium
Total Carb. / Sugars
Protein
Calories
Full List of Ingredients

COMBINATION USE BARS:

Diet/Energy Bars:

Xetalean Diet and Energy Bar with Ephedra Dietary Supplement (Chocolate Peanut Butter Crunch)/40.0g
Mfd. For Nature's Bounty, Inc.
4.5 g / 2.0 g
0 mg
130 mg
21 g / 14 g
8 g
140

Xetalean Diet and Energy Bar with Ephedra Dietary Supplement (Coconut Fudge) / 40.0g
Mfd. For Nature's Bounty, Inc.
4.5 g / 3.5 g
0 mg
95 mg
21 g / 15 g
8 g
150

Meal-Replacement/Diet Bars:

Nutrilite Positrim Food Bar (Peanut Butter)/50.0 g per wrapper (two 25 g bars) (Figures shown based on two bars)
Mfd. For Access Business Group, Inter-
national (formerly Amway)
9 g / 2.5 g
3 mg
170 mg
26 g / 18 g
8 g
210

NON-SPECIFIED USE BARS:

MET-Rx Food Bar (Peanut Butter)/100.0g
Mfd. For Met-Rx USA, Inc.
4.0 g /0.5 g
10 mg
135 mg
50 g / 29 g
27 g
340

Precision Engineered Symetry, A Better Nutritional Ratio Bar (Chocolate Honey Peanut)/50.0g
Mfd. For U.S. Nutrition
7.0 g / 3.0 g
0.0 mg
200 mg
19 g / 9 g
18 g
200

Precision Engineered Symetry, A Better Nutritional Ratio Bar (Yogurt Honey Peanut)/50.0g
Mfd. For U.S. Nutrition
7.0 g / 3.0 g
0.0 mg
200 mg
19 g / 9 g
18 g
200

Unless otherwise noted, information about the products listed above is based on the samples purchased by ConsumerLab.com for this Product Review. Manufacturers may change product ingredients and information at any time, so be sure to check labels carefully when evaluating the products you use or buy. If a product's ingredients differ from what is listed above, it may not necessarily be of the same quality as what was tested. It also cannot be assumed that other products from a Manufacturer or Distributor listed above are of equal quality to those listed.

Copyright ConsumerLab.com, LLC, 2001. All rights reserved. Not to be reproduced, excerpted, linked to, or cited in any fashion without the express written permission of ConsumerLab.com LLC.


*The examples shown represent products whose manufacturers/distributors participated in ConsumerLab.com's testing and/or licensing programs for this Product Review.


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Glycerin and polydextrose are also commonly used in sports nutrition bars and energy drinks. Why? Not for the texture and sweet taste. It's because glycerin(e) is rapidly absorbed and used as fuel by the muscles without requiring insulin to do so. It's this property of not causing insulin to rise that is used by the promoters of these products .. to justify their claims that they are acceptable for low-carb diets.

The BIG problem with this is: if your muscles are going to use the glycerin and polydextrose and sugar alcohol as preferred fuel, then what happens to ketosis, and fat-burning as a source of fuel?? It stands to reason that ketone-production and fat-burning will be put on hold while there is glycerin available for fuel. For someone with a fast metabolism, this might not be a problem in the short term, which is likely why they can eat the bars and not get stalled. But for metabolically resistant low-carbers, these products will halt fat-burning and bring on a stall. Regardless whether the carbs are "hidden" or not.

another 2¢ from moi

Doreen

Hi

Does anyone know if the Atkins bars passed the test? I'd love to knnow as I eat a couple a day.

Thanks

perhaps this explains why i haven't been losing any more lbs!!!
was eating EAS low carb bars once or twice a week.

Be very careful. I'm not familiar with the EAS bars but I was eating 8-10 of the Atkins bars a day and started to have problems with my bowel movements that necesitated a trip to a specialist. Some of these bars have a laxative effect from the weird sugars they use and can have srious side effects. As soon as I cut back down to no more than 2-3 a day things got back to normal. I'm sure if I called Atkins they would justify the fact that they do not includesugars like glycerine in the carb count. Not sure who to believe

Does anyone know the name of the bar with the lowest carbs? How does it taste? Sometimes I crave something sweet that I can sink my teeth into! thanks

I've tried most of the low carb bars and they all average 2-3 carbs per bar.

The best IMO is the Atkins chocolate mocha crunch, sweet, crunchy and chocolatey

To be certain with any low carb bar, use the Hidden Carb Calculator in Low Carb Tools, orange bar at the top of the page.

From previous discussions on the forum and use of the calculator, Atkins Bars have been shown to have hidden carbs.

For something sweet, make it yourself. It's the only way to be sure of what you're getting.


Karen

I totally agree with Karen.....also...you can make your own treats a lot cheaper than purchased bars.

True, but I'll have to go through a twelve step program first to get over my addiction to them. Atkins Anonymous.....

right here in this Research/Media thread ... more information on the glycerin.

... and use home-made sweets (with NO glycerin or sugar alchols) as a sort of 'methadone' to get over the Atkins' and other bars "addiction".

8-10 a day?!? I think they say right on the bars not to be used as meal substitutes, don't they? There's a reason for that... all sugar alcohols will have gastrointestinal "side effects" (diarrhea! cramps!) in larger amounts than a "normal serving size" for most people and in any amount for those sensitive to them. Please do read the Truth about Low Carb Sweeteners Info article right here on this website, over there on the right for quick access. VERY valuable info for your health and peace of mind!

Even 2-3 per day sounds quite excessive.