Bars may be Mondelez’s next big platform

“Fifty percent of the (global) bar category is in North America,” Van de Put said in an interview with Food Business News. “The fastest growth, however, is happening outside of the US.

“So, I think you will see the bar category growing around the world, particularly in the Anglo-Saxon countries. But we see it in Brazil; we see it coming in China. So, I think it will be interesting to watch.”

Bar manufacturer acquisitions made by Mondelez since 2018, including Perfect Snacks, makers of the refrigerated Perfect Bar, Hu, Grenade and Clif have given the company a global foundation from which to build upon.

Van de Put said protein bars are currently the category’s biggest opportunity. In comments made during a conference call with securities analysts to discuss fiscal 2025 results in early Feb., he said one area of innovation in fiscal 2026 the company is focused on is protein bars.

“It’s not just in the US, but it’s also in the rest of the world,” he said. “We have a bar in the UK called Grenade, a very good tasting protein bar that probably would beat anything in the US market. I think that is going to be the one that for us is going to be giving the biggest growth.”

Another bar with potential cited by Van de Put is Perfect Bar.

“It’s a $200 million business now that has the potential to be $500 million, maybe even $1 billion,” he said. “It’s growing really fast, it’s on trend and it’s refrigerated, which gives it a very unique taste. So, I think it has a lot of potential for us.”