The baking industry is no stranger to bad bacteria such as Salmonella, Listeria and E. coli. There are laws created to protect against them, conferences about them and teams assembled to destroy them.

But what about the good bacteria? Probiotics have stepped into the mainstream as their benefits are promoted to consumers looking to manage their digestive health. As more people try to get their daily dose, many are turning to formats other than pills and beverages. Probar, Salt Lake City, caters to this growing need by incorporating probiotics into its newest product: live bars.

“Live bars are great for the consumer who is busy but still values real, whole food and wants to eat as best as they can on-the-go,” said Matt Fuller, president, Probar. “As digestive health is the root of feeling your best from the inside out, we wanted to tap this benefit in a new way by infusing probiotics into a delicious and convenient format. Our live bars allow people to maintain gut health in the easiest way.”

Boasting 1 billion colony-forming units of probiotics in each bar, the product delivers healthy bacteria to the gut, subsequently promoting digestive health and immune functions. Taking the bar’s benefits one step further, the product also includes 10 gram plant-based protein and no added sugar. Maintaining a clean label was also top-of-mind at Probar. Each variety is made with a range of nuts, seeds and date paste for natural sweetness and does not contain preservatives or emulsifiers.

The bars are available in four varieties: peanut butter, almond butter, coconut cashew and peanut butter chocolate chip. During the product development stages, the company kept other popular Probar flavors in mind, which proved to be a successful strategy when it presented the products to a test market.

“The response was incredibly positive with consumers raving about the taste and texture,” Mr. Fuller said. “As a result, we accelerated our launch plans.”

Live bars can be found in the refrigerated section of Whole Foods for $2.49 per 2-oz bar or online for $19.99 for a box of eight bars. Probar plans to roll out the bars at more retailers in the future.

“We think consumers will love this product,” Mr. Fuller noted. “And the fact that we have delivered on a promise to create a bar packed with goodness and delicious taste in the healthiest way possible will keep them coming back for more.”