Comparison of Plenny Bar v2.0 to v3.0. What changed?

Our mission to create the healthiest meals scientifically possible is never-ending. This year, after a lot of hard work, we succeeded once again by creating an even healthier and tastier recipe…

Plenny Bar v3.0!

A new and improved version of all your favorite Plenny Bar flavors, with upgrades that will blow your mind.


Find out about all the changes in this blog!

Our new and improved Plenny Bar v3.0

TL;DR:

• 27% less sugar*
• 9% more fat*
• 30% less saturated fats* (especially in choco: -45%)
• 9% less salt* (especially in CSS: -18%)
• 16% more fiber* (especially in chocolate: +35%)
• 100% natural flavoring (except vanilla flavor)
• New and improved blend of vitamins and minerals.
• added probiotics
• Official Nutri-Score A!

* on average

27% Less Sugar

Yes, in Plenny Bar v3.0 we managed to have even less sugars without losing the amazing Plenny taste! Due to the naturally high-fibre and low-sugar composition of oats, we added more of this superfood. We also completely removed maltodextrin, which we replaced with rice flour. The following flavours are now low in sugar:

• Vanilla (4.9 g)
• Chocolate (4.7 g)
• % Sea Salt Caramel (4.3 g)
• Mocha (4.6 g)

9% More Fat and 30% Less Saturated Fat

Because we reduced the sugar content, but needed to keep the Plenny bar at exactly 400 kcal per bar, we slightly increased the total amount of fat. And by swapping sunflower oil for rapeseed oil, we drastically decreased the amount of saturated fat!

9% Less Salt

We reduced the salt content in Plenny Bar Caramel & Sea Salt from 1.28 g per bar to 1.05 g.

16% More Fiber

With an average of 8.1g of fibre per meal, we increased the fibre content in Plenny Bar by an average of 16%. That makes it high in fibre! The fibre comes from oats, chicory fibre and soy protein crisps. Fibre increases satiety, helps with digestion and improves the health of gut bacteria.

Plenny Bar v2.0 vs v3.0 nutritional information

Plenny Bar	v2.0	v3.0
	Per serving	Per serving
Energy kJ	1674	1674
Kcal	400	400
Fat	16	18
of which it saturates	2.2	1.5
Carbohydrates	38	38
Sugars	6.4	4.6
Fiber	7.1	8.2
Protein	20	20
Salt	0.87	0.80

Enhanced Micronutrient Profile

TL;DR:

• added probiotics
• Hill added
• 100% natural flavoring (except vanilla flavor)
• Less vitamin B12
• More vitamin D
• More vitamin E
• More selenium

Added Probiotics

We added probiotics to help strengthen the gut microbiome. Due to the high fiber content in Plenny Bars, probiotics and fiber have a symbiotic effect: the probiotics feed on the fiber, making them more resilient and giving them a stronger health effect!

For the v3.0 update, we upgraded Plenny Bars with 500 million Bacillus Coagulans UABc-20 cultures per meal.

Hill Added

Choline is a relatively recently discovered nutrient: the Institute of Medicine only recognized it as a required nutrient in 1998.

But choline is involved in many different bodily processes. For example, liver function, healthy brain development, muscle movement, fat transport and metabolism, and DNA synthesis. A deficiency can cause problems like muscle damage, liver damage, and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (1,2, 4, 5).

That's why for this update, we equipped the Plenny Bar with choline hydrogen tartrate. One Plenny Bar v3.0 contains 110 mg, which is already 28% of the recommended intake of 400 mg/day.

100% Natural Flavoring (except Vanilla flavor)

Chemically speaking, natural flavors are no different than artificial flavors, nor are natural flavors safer than artificial flavors [1]. So when it comes to which is “better” , at Jimmy Joy, we simply follow our taste buds, choosing what tastes best!

Unfortunately, the 100% Natural Vanilla Flavored Bar did not pass our rigorous taste tests.

You would think that the more vitamins the better, but there is such a thing as Upper Limits (UL). Your body needs to process all the vitamins, and your kidneys especially have a hard time excreting any vitamin overdose. Exceeding the upper limit of vitamins can cause health problems, so we are very careful about the amounts we use for our formula.

Vitamin B12

The latest findings on the absorption rate of vitamin B12 made us more curious, and after doing some more research, we found that there may be a saturation in the absorption rate. Active absorption is severely limited. Studies indicate that the absorption efficiency of B12 is lower when the B12 content is higher. (10) They showed that the absorption of B12 ranges from about 56%, if about 1 microgram or less is consumed, to about 1.3% for doses of 1000 micrograms (1 milligram) or more.

Studies specifically on cyanocobalamin estimated the absorption capacity of cyanocobalamin at 49% and another study at 1.5 to 2.5 μg per meal, which depends on the maximum saturation of intestinal receptors. This is why we decided to reduce the added amounts but of course make sure that daily needs and requirements are met. (11-15) In people with normal absorption, an intake of 4-7 ug of vitamin B12 per day is associated with adequate vitamin B12 status. (16)

EFSA reviews conclude that commercially available supplements typically contain doses between 1 and 5 µg. (17) An appropriate overdose based on the bioavailability of different forms of vitamins is 2 to 4 times higher than the established adequate intake (which is 4 µg of B12) without exceeding the established upper limits.

The National Center for Biotechnology Information states that cyanocobalamin losses in urine have been observed to be 3 times greater than methylcobalamin losses. Although the absorption into the blood of both forms of B12 was similar, methylcobalamin supplementation was found to cause 13% more cobalamin to be stored in the liver than cyanocobalamin supplementation. (17-19)

We use cyanocobalamin because it is the only non-animal form of this vitamin available for the application we need, and taking into account the above, 4 times higher than the recommended daily intake.

Dry purple laver for B12 (cyanocobalamin)

Dried purple seaweed is a plant product and the most suitable source of vitamin B12 available for vegetarians and vegans. Dried purple seaweed contains high levels of other nutrients that tend to be lacking in vegetarian diets, such as iron and omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids.

That's why a Plenny Bar v3.0 has 3.2 ug of vitamin B12, which is equivalent to 128% of the recommended daily intake. Enough, don't you think?

Vitamin E, D

Because it is an antioxidant and because of its preservative qualities, we increased the vitamin E. We also increased the vitamin D content, so it is less dependent on a daily dose of sunlight. Take that, sunshine!

Selenium

We also increased Selenium to meet the latest adequate intake of 70ug/day established by EFSA (20).

Official Nutri-Score A

All Plenny bars get an A on the Nutri-Score chart. And yes, that is the highest score.

Plenny Bar v2.0 vs v3.0 vitamins & minerals

Plenny Bar		V2.0		V3.0
Vitamins-Minerals	Unit.	Per serving	RI* (%)	Per serving	RI* (%)
Vitamin A	μg	160	20%	160	20%
Vitamin D	μg	3	61%	5	100%
Vitamin E	mg	2.4	20%	4	33%
Vitamin K	μg	16	21%	16	21%
Vitamin C	mg	40	50%	40	50%
Thiamine	mg	0.2	20%	0.4	36%
Riboflavin	mg	0.3	23%	0.3	23%
Niacin	mg	3.6	23%	3.6	23%
Vitamin B6	mg	0.3	22%	0.4	29%
Folic acid	μg	60	30%	60	30%
Vitamin B12	μg	28	1120%	3.2	128%
Biotin	μg	10	20%	10	20%
Pantothenic acid	mg	1.2	20%	1.2	20%
Potassium	mg	400	20%	400	20%
Chloride	mg	160	20%	279	35%
Calcium	mg	185	23%	185	23%
Phosphorus	mg	140	20%	140	20%
Magnesium	mg	75	20%	75	20%
Iron	mg	3.2	23%	3.2	23%
Zinc	mg	2	20%	2	20%
Copper	mg	0.2	20%	0.4	40%
Manganese	mg	0.4	20%	1	50%
Selenium	μg	11	20%	18	33%
Chrome	μg	8	20%	8	20%
Molybdenum	μg	13	26%	13	26%
Iodine	μg	30	20%	30	20%

* % of the reference daily intake (RI) of vitamins and minerals.

Sources

1. NPR.org. (2017). Is “Natural Flavor” Healthier Than “Artificial Flavor”? [online] [Accessed 22 Oct. 2021].
2. Zeisel SH, Corbin KD. Choline. In: Erdman JW, Macdonald IA, Zeisel SH, eds. Present Knowledge in Nutrition. 10th ed. Washington, DC: Wiley-Blackwell; 2012:405-18.
3. Institute of Medicine. Food and Nutrition Board. Dietary Reference Intakes: Thiamin, Riboflavin, Niacin, Vitamin B6, Folate, Vitamin B12, Pantothenic Acid, Biotin, and Choline. Washington, DC: National Academy Press; 1998.
4. Zeisel SH. Choline. In: Coates PM, Betz JM, Blackman MR, et al., eds. Encyclopedia of Dietary Supplements. 2nd ed. London and New York: Informa Healthcare; 2010:136-43
5. Zeisel SH. Choline. In: Ross AC, Caballero B, Cousins ​​RJ, Tucker KL, Ziegler TR, eds. Modern Nutrition in Health and Disease. 11th ed. Baltimore, MD: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins; 2014:416-26.
6. Corbin KD, Zeisel SH. Choline metabolism provides novel insights into nonalcoholic fatty liver disease and its progression. Curr Opin Gastroenterol 2012;28:159-65. [ PubMed abstract ]
7. Holscher HD (2017). Dietary fiber and prebiotics and the gastrointestinal microbiota. Gut Microbes, 8(2), 172–184.
8. Raila, J., & Schweigert, F.J. (2001). Zur Bedeutung der Nieren im Vitamin-Stoffwechsel [The role of the kidneys in vitamin metabolism]. Berliner und Munchener tierarztliche Wochenschrift, 114(7-8), 257–266.
9. Naik, MA, Banday, KA, Najar, MS, Reshi, AR, & Bhat, MA (2008). Vitamin D intoxication presenting as acute renal failure. Indian journal of nephrology, 18(3), 125–126.
10. Multiple vitamin overdose: MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia. Medlineplus.gov. Retrieved 7 July 2020
11. Adams, J.F., Ross, S.K., Mervyn, L., Boddy, K., & King, P. (1971). Absorption of cyanocobalamin, coenzyme B 12, methylcobalamin, and hydroxocobalamin at different dose levels. Scandinavian journal of gastroenterology, 6(3), 249–252.
12. Rizzo, G.; Laganà, AS; Rapisarda, AMC; La Ferrera, GMG; Buscema, M.; Rossetti, P.; Nigro, A.; Muscia, V.; Valenti, G.; Sapia, F.; Sarpietro, G.; Zigarelli, M.; Vitale, SG Vitamin B12 among Vegetarians: Status, Assessment and Supplementation. Nutrients 2016, 8, 767.
13. Institute of Medicine. 1998. Dietary Reference Intakes for Thiamin, Riboflavin, Niacin, Vitamin B6, Folate, Vitamin B12, Pantothenic Acid, Biotin, and Choline. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi:10.17226/6015.
14. Scott JM. Bioavailability of vitamin B12. Eur J Clin Nutr 51(Suppl 1): S49–S53, 1997.
15. Bor, Mustafa & Castel-Roberts, Kristina & Kauwell, Gail & Stabler, Sally & Allen, Robert & Maneval, David & Bailey, Lynn & Nexø, Ebba. (2010). Daily intake of 4 to 7 g dietary vitamin B-12 is associated with steady concentrations of vitamin B-12-related biomarkers in a healthy young population. The American journal of clinical nutrition. 91. 571-7. 10.3945/ajcn.2009.28082.
16. Watanabe, F. (2007). Vitamin B12 Sources and Bioavailability. Experimental Biology And Medicine, 232(10), 1266-1274.
17. Bor MV, von Castel-Roberts KM, Kauwell GP, et al. Daily intake of 4 to 7 microg dietary vitamin B-12 is associated with steady concentrations of vitamin B-12-related biomarkers in a healthy young population. Am J Clin Nutr. 2010;91(3):571-577. doi:10.3945/ajcn.2009.28082
18. European Food Safety Authority. Tolerable upper intake levels for vitamins and minerals. Scientific Committee on Food Scientific Panel on Dietetic Products, Nutrition and Allergies. 2006
19. Adams, J.F., Ross, S.K., Mervyn, L., Boddy, K., & King, P. (1971). Absorption of Cyanocobalamin, Coenzyme B12, Methylcobalamin, and Hydroxocobalamin at Different Dose Levels. Scandinavian Journal of Gastroenterology, 6(3), 249–252.
20. Carmel, R. (2008). How I treat cobalamin (vitamin B12) deficiency. Blood, 112(6), 2214–2221. https://doi.org/10.1182/blood-2008-03-040253
21. EFSA Panel on Dietetic Products, N. and A. (NDA). (2014). Scientific Opinion on Dietary Reference Values ​​for selenium. EFSA Journal, 12(10), 3846.