KANSAS CITY — Consumers are defining fresh as “clean label, free of additives/preservatives and typically either refrigerated products or those found in the produce section,” according to David Lockwood, founder of Mintel Consulting, in “‘Fresh’ Snacking is on the Rise.” Pulling from the Mintel study “The Future of ‘Fresh,’” he discussed refrigerated snack bars as part of the six packaged product segments that most clearly define the fresh snacking category. Fresh bars, and the perimeter of the store in general, have the attention of millennials and Generation Z, two consumer groups that demand healthful options.

At the beginning of 2018, San Diego-based NuttZo, moved to the perimeter of the store with its NuttZo Bold Bitez. The chilled bar’s blend of nutritious ingredients including nuts, seeds and collagen, and ability to stay shelf-stable up to two weeks appeal to consumers.

Parents also seek fresh products for their children. Combining the children’s snack bar trend with the fresh bar trend, Perfect Bar, San Diego, introduced Perfect Kids, a refrigerated snack bar line, this year. The snacks are gluten-free, non-G.M.O. and kosher-friendly and were created after the company surveyed parents to see what kind of snacks they wanted to feed their children. Parents said they felt snacks were missing good nutrition, and 86% of parents preferred shopping on the perimeter aisles of the store for their children’s snacks.

In 2017, SPINS reported refrigerated wellness bars grew 61.3% in 2017 versus 2016.

“Refrigeration drives a fresh perception, and this aligns with the refrigeration growth across the rest of the store,” said Sally Lyons Wyatt, executive vice-president and practice leader, Information Resources, Inc. “Refrigeration will continue to grow outside of the natural channel.”