Award-Winning Detour® Brand Enters Natural Foods Category With Gluten Free Oatmeal Bars

CARSON CITY, Nev., Sept. 24, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Protein products company Forward Foods, LLC, the maker of the award-winning Detour^® bar, today announced a new line of natural, gluten free, whole grain oatmeal bars. The new SMART bars come in two delicious fruit flavors and mark the company's entry into the natural foods category.

The new Detour SMART bars are independently certified by the Gluten Free Certification Organization to confirm they meet strict gluten free standards. Each bar has just 130 calories and four grams of sugar. Like all Detour products, the Detour SMART bar is made with high quality whey protein to nourish and replenish the body, and the grains and fruit provide a balanced source of fiber and a nutritious foundation for maintaining good health. Detour SMART bars are lightly sweetened with Stevia, a zero-calorie, natural sweetener.

"We encourage our consumers to take positive detours in their life – to make small changes for better health – and now we're taking a new detour with our company with the introduction of a line up of natural, gluten free oatmeal bars," said Patrick Muldoon, chief executive officer of Forward Foods, which owns Detour. "Whole grains are an essential part of a healthy diet and may help lower the risk of heart disease and diabetes, and lowering your sugar intake may be one of the best things you can do for your body, your appetite and your mind."

Detour's entry into the natural foods category is already attracting attention. In August, the new Detour SMART bar was selected as a finalist in the "Snacks – Bars" category in Convenience Store Petroleum's (CSP) 2013 Retailer Choice Best New Product Contest. Each year, the award recognizes products that are unique, innovative and demonstrate groundbreaking advancement in a given category in the convenience channel.

The new Detour SMART bar contains up to 80 percent less sugar than leading snack bars and comes in two flavors: Blueberry and Apple Cinnamon, both of which are topped with a Greek style yogurt drizzle. Detour SMART bars are available online at www.detourbar.com and bodybuilding.com, and in select retailers including GNC, Vitamin Shoppe and Vitamin World, with the bars becoming more widely available over the coming months.

"We are applying our award-winning expertise creating great tasting bars designed to support a lean body and satisfy hunger to a natural foods product that will appeal to anyone looking for a satisfying, gluten free snack made with natural ingredients" said Muldoon. "At Detour we believe you are what you eat, and with this bar that means SMART."

About Forward Foods

Forward Foods, LLC manufactures and markets high protein snack, energy bars and shakes under the Detour brand. Since the introduction of the original bar in October 2002, Detour has grown into a $60MM retail brand platform and is the leading high protein brand in health and fitness stores. Detour revolutionized the high protein bar category by being the first to utilize candy bar technology and formulation to create a truly "great tasting" high protein bar. The brand has now expanded to more mainstream channels including food grocery, drug store, mass merchant, club and convenience stores. For more information on the complete line of great tasting, high protein Detour products, visit http://detourbar.com

SOURCE Forward Foods, LLC