Betterland Foods’ New Woo Chocolate Bar Is Made With Perfect Day’s Animal-Free Whey Protein

Betterland Foods has announced its newest animal-free dairy product. Dubbed ‘WOO’, the initial bar has been designed to mimic the successful combination of chocolate, nougat, caramel and peanuts that conventional Snickers bars are known for. The key difference is that Woo contains half the sugar, twice the protein and just 200 calories. It’s also animal and lactose-free. 

Leading on from the release of Betterland Milk at the Natural Products Expo a few weeks back, the chocolate also uses Perfect Day whey protein. Woo is the first chocolate bar of its kind to use the product. It taps into the Betterland founder’s first passion: protein-rich chocolate bars with less sugar.

Founder and former CEO of Think!, Lizanne Falsetto devised the first sugar-free 20-gram protein bar released to market. Keeping tabs on the chocolate and candy industries, Falsetto has now launched Woo with similar health focuses in mind.

Taking on the chocolate sector

The global confectionery market is predicted to reach a value of $187 billion by 2026. Despite continued growth, observers have noted that innovation within the layered chocolate arena appears to have stalled. Existing companies are seeking to diversify flavours, sizes and packaging styles, but few are incorporating health improvements. Falsetto is setting out to change exactly this with her 200-calorie layered chocolate bars.

“We’re rewriting this tired old narrative that in order for something to be healthy for you, it’s not going to taste as good. That’s just not true. We’ve proven it first with Betterland Milk, and again with Woo,” Falsetto said in a statement. “This is a candy bar that tastes just as delicious as other leading layered chocolate candy bars we know and love, while containing half the sugar and two times the protein. This is candy bars, evolved.”

Read: Green Queen Media’s Alessandra Franco’s review of Betterland Milk from her visit to the Expo West 2022.

Chocolate powered by Perfect Day

Perfect Day has garnered recognition and celebrity backers alike for its precision fermentation approach to replicating dairy proteins. Creating casein and whey using genetically modified microflora, the proteins are identical to those found in cow’s milk. Betterland Foods uses Perfect Day protein in its Woo bars due to an existing relationship, but also the sustainability credentials of removing animals from the food system.

According to Woo, Perfect Day’s whey is a clean alternative to animal protein. Comparing production methodologies, Perfect Day cites 99 percent water savings, 97 percent fewer greenhouse gas emissions and 60 percent less non-renewable energy use. The result, for Falsetto, is a healthier, cleaner, more sustainable layered chocolate bar that delivers on ‘craveable taste’. This, she claims, makes it special in the marketplace and addresses “what consumers really want”. It made the project appeal to Perfect Day also.

“Lizanne’s experience as a protein innovator and retail disruptor made her our first choice for the launch of candy made kinder and greener with Perfect Day’s whey protein,” Ryan Pandya, co-founder and CEO of Perfect Day said in a statement. “Lizanne has already proven what she can do with Betterland Milk, and we are thrilled to now bring animal-free layered chocolate candy to consumers who have been excitedly awaiting more products made with Perfect Day protein.

Chocolate’s changing landscape

The vegan chocolate market is predicted to reach $1 billion by 2027. As such, companies are looking to meet demand with new products, adapt production methods to scale up and wave goodbye to traditionally unsavoury elements including child labour. The latter might be on the road to being fixed, via blockchain technology that increases supply chain transparency. In terms of new products, imagination appears to be the only limit hindering manufacturers.

Earlier this month it was revealed that Harrods will be stocking new chocolate from Belgian confectioner Callebaut, made from tiger nuts. A pastry and solid bar will be available in its prestigious Food Hall.

In February, California’s Voyage Foods unveiled its cacao-free chocolate. The startup reverse engineers foods, identifying their composition down to a molecular level, before replicating them with entirely different ingredients. The end goal is to create foods safe for allergy sufferers, which are affordable, accessible and free from unethical production tarnishing.

Woo will be available direct-to-consumer initially, with full retail launch slated for September.

Lead photo by Betterland Foods.