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What Is Isomalto-oligosaccharide (IMO)?

by Robb Dorf on Apr 12, 2021

What Is Isomalto-oligosaccharide (IMO)?

We are beyond excited to launch our 20th Anniversary PureFit bars.  The new bars taste and perform as well as our original formula.  In honor of our 20th Anniversary, we added 2 grams of protein.  We also took the opportunity to lower the sugars.  How did we do this and why now?

Its an easy question to answer.  Sugars have gotten a pretty bad reputation over the last few years.  Some of it deserved, but a lot of the negative press does not tell the entire story, leaving consumers confused.  PureFit has always accommodated active children and adults, and that will never change. Sugars help all of us perform at a high level, and help fuel the mind.  Optimally, you want to burn a nice combination of stored body fat and glycogen.  PureFit has preached this for 20 years.  We were never a "high sugar" product, but as new products emerged, we started seeing the industry slowly lowering the sugars in many leading protein bars by using an ingredient commonly referred to as "IMO" (Isomalto-oligosaccharide.) 

IMO is a high-maltose syrup made up of a mixture of short-chain carbohydrates. It is found naturally in some whole foods, but can also be manufactured to be added to packaged products. IMO is used often as an ingredient for creating healthy foods like protein bars. It is a sweet-tasting prebiotic fiber that has essentially zero effect on blood sugar.

We truly feel we have stayed true to who we are as a brand and a company.  Our delicious Protein Crisp bars will satisfy your sweetest cravings, while still giving you 12 grams of plant-based proteins.  Our original bars will still give you the performance and taste that you have always loved.