Some Like It Cold: Saving nutrients and enzymes

Cold-pressing food is said to save nutrients and enzymes from the damage they face under high heat. Margot Knight speaks to the experts to find out why the market is rapidly increasing.

The cold-pressing process has been around for a while, for example in making olive oil, juices and smoothies.

Gone are the days of choosing between full-fat, low-fat or no-fat. Consumers now have an overwhelming choice when it comes to food, with words such as organic, raw, vegan, superfood, gluten-free and many more floating around the market. And now these choices extend to the actual food-making process.

To heat or not to heat, that is the question – now that cold-pressed products are becoming more available. The process has been around for a while, for example in making olive oil, juices and smoothies. Now we turn our attention to the more recent addition to the market – the cold-pressed food bar.

A growing appetite for cold-pressing: food bars

When UK-based Creative Nature first launched their cold-pressed food bars in June 2013, it seemed like they were entering a relatively niche market. The young start-up had spotted a gap, not just for cold-pressed food bars, but for cold-pressed super food bars.

However, finance director Julianne Ponan believes there is a growing interest in the market. "There isn’t another superfoods bar but I have seen a lot more people doing cold-pressed bars," she says. And, with obesity rates in the UK continuing to rise, the market for healthy snacks will only grow.

Of course, the trend for healthy living is a global one. Organic Food Bar, established in Southern California in 1997, boasts the introduction of the first raw organic bar to the world, before the USDA organic certification even existed. The company now distributes to over 30 countries.

Dr Jack Singh, founder of Organic Food Bar Inc., believes that the market for healthy cold-processed raw foods in the USA is "huge" and that "it’s increasing while the conventional processed bar market is losing customer support". This is because "the consumer today is more educated and demands healthy food alternatives", he says.

The art of cold-pressing: manufacturing and mixing

Creative Nature’s cold-pressed bars are manufactured in the Midlands where ingredients are mixed together in a machine and pressed into the shape of a bar. By using this process, their nutritional value is a lot higher and they are easier to digest. "Many companies do heat up to 35 degrees [Celsius]…but we don’t even do that because it still damages a certain percentage of the nutrients," Julianne says.

For Organic Food Bar, production takes place in a highly automated solar powered facility in Corona, USA, where the machines have been made according to custom specifications. All of their bars are cold-pressed "to keep the food in its original healthy state to preserve all vitamins, enzymes and phytonutrients", Jack says.

A supply shortage: high demand

With the market for cold-pressed foods growing fast, demand can, at times, leave supply behind. "The market demand for organic, raw, non-GMO foods is increasing faster than the supply of raw materials, causing shortage in some instances," says Jack.
This can especially be the case when dealing with high quality ingredients from far flung corners of the world.

Creative Nature’s superfoods are sourced from remote areas because the soil has not been over-farmed and is therefore still rich in nutrients. "A lot of other companies go to places like China just to source all their ingredients and, yes, it is cheaper but the quality is lower," Julianne says.

Organic Food Bar uses "the finest ingredients" produced by "reputable farmers" in the US, Europe and Canada who use "the cleanest and newest farming techniques". "We personally visit most farms to maintain the quality of ingredients that go into each and every bar," Jack adds.

This dedication to using only high quality sources does not come without its challenges and Creative Nature, too, has, experienced overwhelming demand. The company has to seek a new supplier for their pumpkin seed oil, for example, because they could not manage the volume.

Separating the pros from the cons: understanding the market

Competition looks set to increase in the future but Julianne believes that Creative Nature’s unique products, processes and competitive price point will ensure that they continue to stand out from the crowd.

Jack too believes competition is increasing and has noticed that big players are interested in entering the market. "The problem is that large companies do not understand raw food and they tend to pasteurize all foods, not really leaving it in raw original state," he says."Raw food in its true wholesome state is still very limited but educated consumers know the difference."

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