JUMP Bars

When you hear crickets outside your bedroom window, does the white noise help you get a good night’s sleep? Does it keep you up instead? One thing you probably don’t think about is how crickets can be a huge source of natural protein and taste great!

Angela Kelly, founder of Entotritious Inc., approached the Food Innovation and Research Studio (FIRSt) at George Brown College to refine her three ‘energy bar’ products that are packed with protein and vitamin B12, and will leave a good taste in your mouth. With the help of both FIRSt, and focus groups containing people like you, Angela has created a product line that will pick your energy level up and provide a plentiful and sustainable source of protein – now known as JUMP Bars!

But crickets? Really? Well, think about this. For every pound of protein provided by a cow, farmers require 2153 square feet of land, the average footprint of a home in the United States. The same pound of protein from crickets only requires the space of that home’s chimney, while also requiring 12 times less food. The whole cricket is also edible, compared to 40% of that cow.

Angela commends FIRSt as a very important piece in her product’s development as “the team [was] truly invested in [the] product and had the ability to make this a reality. They truly want you to succeed and put forth all their efforts to help you achieve this.” Angela also credits the team with providing her invaluable feedback and expertise. “Some benefits I recognized working with the students and [researchers] was their level of experience in the field that far outweighed mine. They provided […] so much guidance, recommendations and resources to help me get the product to where it is today.”

After Angela’s work with Susan Plummer and Robert McCurdy, Food Scientists at FIRSt, along with student researcher Alyssa da Silva, she has a “bar that tastes great – not just for a cricket protein bar – but for any protein bar out there.” Angela plans to bring her chili chocolate, apple pie and lemon coconut bars to market next.

The JUMP Bar’s development made use of the FIRSt kitchen and consumer based focus groups. Angela says, “I think the most significant milestone for me was testing my bars after Susan’s final attempt in the kitchen to improve the taste of my bars and upping the protein content based on the feedback from the focus groups. She was able to drastically improve the flavours of the bars by adding pure lemon to the coconut bar and ground cayenne to the chocolate bar.”

It’s only a matter of time before alternative sources of protein appear in the protein bar aisle at grocery and health food stores. Will you jump at the opportunity to try a JUMP Bar?