Granola bars add focus one bite at a time
by Kendra Foster, posted Sept., 19, 2008
A newly available snack the size of a Motorola Razor claims to help improve one’s focus and boost one’s energy and immunity. Herbal Oats granola bars are now sold at Café Fresco in Brady Commons. The interesting part, however, is that this company is owned and operated by two MU students.
Steven Adamski and Sarah Newsome founded Herbal Oats in the summer of 2007. Adamski was making the granola bars for about nine months before he decided to go public with his product. After much encouragement from his friends, he decided to market his product. Since then, the business has flourished.
When asked why he started Herbal Oats, Adamski’s answer came easily. “We are food science majors, and we wanted a product that would taste good and be healthy for our customers and the environment,” Adamski said.
The wrapper alone backs up these claims. The caloric intake is between 150-175 per bar, which when compared to other granola bars could be more than a 60-calorie difference. Also, the bars contain Ginkgo, Rose Hips, Echinacea and Black Tea. These ingredients can help body functions, such as focus or boosting the immune system. Soon, the product will include antioxidants, which will extend its shelf life while making it an even healthier choice for consumers.
“Antioxidants are being added to numerous food products to preserve shelf-life of foods, specifically by delaying oxidative spoilage of foods,” said Ingolf Gruen, MU professor of food science. In granola bars, the antioxidants would work against the spoilage of food at a food science chemical level, not a microbial level, he said. Honey is one example of an antioxidant.
“It’s a really great product; we both stand behind it,” Newsome said.
In June, the couple produced around 270 bars per week. Driven by the demand for their product, they have increased production by almost 130 percent in the last three months. They now produce and sell about 350 bars a week.
The owners think that part of the reason this product has been so successful is that it’s a healthy alternative for the body, mind and environment. Adamski said that the granola bars are free of unhealthy preservatives and don’t contain high fructose corn syrup, which some believe is unhealthy. Dr. Gruen, however, said that it is just like sugar and fine in moderation.
The bars are made with organic rolled oats. The biodegradable packaging is also environmentally friendly. On the inside of the packaging there are instructions on how to build a compost pile.
Herbal Oats – healthy for the body, healthy for the mind and healthy for the environment – can be found in Brady Commons. To contact the producer, send an email to herbaloats@yahoo.com.
