Larabar
Encyclopedia
Lärabar is a brand of energy bar
Energy bar
Energy bars are supplemental bars containing cereals and other high energy foods targeted at people that require quick energy but do not have time for a meal...

 produced by General Mills
General Mills
General Mills, Inc. is an American Fortune 500 corporation, primarily concerned with food products, which is headquartered in Golden Valley, Minnesota, a suburb of Minneapolis. The company markets many well-known brands, such as Betty Crocker, Yoplait, Colombo, Totinos, Jeno's, Pillsbury, Green...

. The bars are made with unprocessed ingredients. They were first introduced to be sold to the public April 14, 2003. International sales commenced summer 2004. The original Lärabar flavors that started it all were; Cherry Pie, Apple Pie, Cashew Cookie, Banana Cookie, and Chocolate Coconut Chew.

Lärabar was created by Denver native Lara Merriken, who was looking to make a "very healthy product that tasted delicious". Her inspiration for the snack occurred during a hiking trip in 2000 through the Rocky Mountains
Rocky Mountains
The Rocky Mountains are a major mountain range in western North America. The Rocky Mountains stretch more than from the northernmost part of British Columbia, in western Canada, to New Mexico, in the southwestern United States...

 of Colorado
Colorado
Colorado is a U.S. state that encompasses much of the Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains...

 . In 2008, General Mills acquired the original producer of Lärabars, Humm Foods.

A review in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, also known simply as the "PG," is the largest daily newspaper serving metropolitan Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA.-Early history:...

praises Lärabar, writing "The bar is moist and chewy, tart and tasty. None of the medicinal tastes of other protein bars." The bar's authentic taste and use as a breakfast meal have also been complimented.

In January 2009, General Mills voluntarily recalled Peanut Butter Cookie flavor Lärabars for fear of salmonella
Salmonella
Salmonella is a genus of rod-shaped, Gram-negative, non-spore-forming, predominantly motile enterobacteria with diameters around 0.7 to 1.5 µm, lengths from 2 to 5 µm, and flagella which grade in all directions . They are chemoorganotrophs, obtaining their energy from oxidation and reduction...

 contamination. No illnesses were reported.

Products

The nineteen Lärabar flavors offered are:
  • Apple Pie
  • Banana Bread
  • Blueberry Muffin
  • Carrot Cake
  • Cashew Cookie
  • Cherry Pie
  • Chocolate Chip Brownie
  • Chocolate Chip Cherry Torte
  • Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough
  • Chocolate Coconut Chew
  • Coconut Cream Pie
  • Ginger Snap
  • Key Lime Pie
  • Lemon
  • Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip
  • Peanut Butter Cookie
  • Peanut Butter & Jelly
  • Pecan Pie
  • Tropical Fruit Tart


The four Jǒcolat flavors offered are:
  • Chocolate
  • Chocolate Coffee
  • Chocolate Hazelnut
  • Chocolate Mint


Retired flavors:
  • Cinnamon Roll (Summer 2011)
  • Chocolate Cherry (Winter 2011)
  • Cocoa Mōlé (Summer 2010)
  • Pistachio (Spring 2010)

Ingredients

Lärabar uses only unsweetened fruits, nuts, spices, and dairy and soy free chocolate in the Jǒcolat line. Each bar contains no more than nine wholesome ingredients such as dates, almonds, cashews, walnuts, pecans, peanuts, unsweetened fruit (apples, bananas, blueberries, cherries, raisins etc.), cinnamon, ginger, cocoa powder, coconut, sea salt, etc. Larabar ingredients are gluten-free, dairy free and soy free. The Jǒcolat and Lärabar line of bars containing chocolate or chocolate chips cannot be guaranteed to be dairy or soy free due to possibility of cross-contact with equipment that processes chocolate with dairy and soy. The Lärabars without chocolate can be classified [kosher], [gluten-free], [vegan] and [vegetarian]. Shelf life for the bars is 12 months. "

External links

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.  The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.
 
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