Private Label Protein Bar Manufacturer in Sweden
Bars Production is a private label protein bar manufacturer in Gråbo, Sweden. We have been making bars since 1999, first as Runes Specialbageri, a small bakery making almond biscuits, and now as a five-line production facility serving brands across the European market.
You handle the brand. We develop the product with you from a blank page, or, if you want to move faster, put your brand on one of our already-proven recipes (see White label below). From your first brief to finished bars on pallets, our R&D team creates the recipe, our factory runs the production, and our QA team signs off every batch before it ships.
The short version
Certified: FSSC 22000, EU Organic (SE-EKO-06), RSPO, Informed Manufacturer, Sedex member
Volumes and lead times are approximate.
What We Manufacture
Coatings and Finishes
- Chocolate enrobing – milk, dark and white chocolate, with or without sugar, with or without palm oil
- Compound coatings, on the same terms
- Toppings – seeds, freeze-dried fruit, crispies, applied to the bar surface
- Uncoated and natural-finish bars also available
Dietary and Functional Options
- Vegan / plant-based – all five lines can run it
- Organic – EU Organic certified (SE-EKO-06)
- High-protein – up to 50% protein
- Low-sugar / no added sugar
- Gluten-free – through validated cleaning protocols between runs
- Collagen-enriched
Bar weights: 30g to 120g
Packaging: Flow-wrapped individual bars as standard, plus retail-ready display boxes and custom carton formats. You own the packaging design. We support you on the technical side (product specification, packaging compatibility, what will and will not run on the line) and our print suppliers handle proofing.
How We Build Your Product
Arrive with a napkin sketch, a rough idea, or a nutritional target. Our in-house R&D team has been developing bar formulations since 1999, and they know which protein blends still hold their texture at the end of shelf life and which fall apart halfway through. Most of our protein bars run to a 9–12 month shelf life, some longer, depending on the formulation.
- 1Briefing
Tell us what you need: nutritional targets, ingredient requirements, taste profile, price-per-bar target, certifications, packaging, volume.
- 2R&D and Formulation
Our R&D team develops your recipe from your spec: nutritional targets, taste profile, ingredient requirements. This is ground-up formulation work, not adapting something that already exists.
- 3Sampling
Physical samples for your evaluation. We aim to settle sampling in two rounds; in our experience, projects that need four or five rarely reach the shelf. First samples reach you around four weeks after briefing.
- 4Production
Your run is scheduled across our five production lines. We handle multiple client schedules simultaneously. All bars are extruded. From approved artwork to finished goods is typically 12 weeks.
- 5Quality Assurance
Your bars are manufactured under our FSSC 22000-certified food safety management system. Nutritional analysis, microbiological testing, shelf-life validation, allergen controls, metal detection and weight verification on every line. Get a copy of our FSSC 22000 certificate on request, or feel free to contact our QA team for more information about the process.
- 6Delivery
We ship finished goods from Gråbo across Europe, to your warehouse, distribution centre, or directly to retail partners. We handle export documentation ourselves and together with our freight partners.
For the full process breakdown, see how we work. Samples of existing formulations are available on request. Request samples.
White Label – Ready Formulations, Faster
Not every project needs a new recipe. If you want bars on shelf without an R&D cycle, choose one of our already-proven formulations and put your brand on it.
White label means the bar stays as it is. The recipe is proven, the format is set by the line it runs on, and neither changes. What you design is the packaging. That is what makes this route fast.
How it works:
- Choose a base formulation – pick from our range of proven recipes.
- Design your packaging – your artwork on our format. You own the design; we support on technical specification and our print suppliers proof it.
- Production and delivery – same five lines, same FSSC 22000-certified food safety management system, shipped from Gråbo.
From approved artwork to delivered goods is typically 12 weeks. Minimum order quantity is the same as for any other route: ≈10,000 bars per order, against a yearly minimum of ≈100,000.
Who it's for: new brands launching fast, retailers testing an own-brand range before investing in custom formulation, and brands adding a bar category to an existing range without new product development.
If you need to change anything about the bar itself (protein source, macros, texture, format) that is a private label project, not a white label one, and the from-scratch route above is the better fit. If you already have your own recipe and spec, see contract manufacturing.
Our Factory
Our protein bar manufacturing facility is in Gråbo, on Sweden's west coast, 20 minutes north of Gothenburg and about the same from Landvetter airport. It was purpose-built for bar production. Port, motorway and air freight are all within easy reach.
- 5 dedicated production lines – all extrusion-based
- Enrobing line for milk, dark and white chocolate and compound coatings, with or without sugar, with or without palm oil
- Annual capacity: approximately 50 million bars
- ~50 employees – production, R&D, QA, logistics
- In-house R&D team – recipe development and reformulation
- Inline QA – metal detection and weight checking on every line
- Part of Humble Group (Nasdaq Stockholm, Mid Cap) since 2022 – we cooperate across the group on sourcing and innovation, and share insights between its companies
We currently manufacture for more than 50 brands in around ten European countries. Those brands then sell into considerably more markets than that.
Certifications and Compliance
Your retail buyers will audit your manufacturer. Here is what they will find:
Informed Manufacturer
- FSSC 22000
- GFSI-recognised food safety management. The standard European grocery buyers audit against. We are certified to it.
- EU Organic (SE-EKO-06)
- We source and process certified organic ingredients. Your bars carry the EU Organic label. We are one of the few bar manufacturers in the Nordic region with this certification.
- RSPO
- Certified sourcing for palm-derived ingredients.
- Sedex
- We are a member of the Supplier Ethical Data Exchange, the platform buyers use to review labour standards, health and safety, and environmental management.
- Informed Manufacturer
- LGC's banned-substance assurance programme for sports nutrition.
Responsibility for nutrition and health claims and for correct labelling sits with you as the brand owner. We guarantee that the product specification we hand you is accurate. For claims work under Regulation 1924/2006, use a regulatory affairs specialist.
Sustainability
- 100% renewable electricity – our production runs on nothing else
- RSPO-certified sourcing for palm-derived ingredients
- Sedex member – labour standards, environment and safety data available to your buyers through the platform
European retailers increasingly require ESG documentation from suppliers. Our certification stack and Swedish production context give your procurement team straightforward answers to sustainability questionnaires.
Minimum Order Quantities and Lead Times
- Minimum order quantity: ≈10,000 bars per order, against a yearly minimum of ≈100,000 bars. This applies to your first order too.
- Case size: 12 to 20 bars per case
- First sample: ≈4 weeks from briefing
- Production lead time: ≈12 weeks from approved artwork to finished goods
- Typical project timeline (concept to delivery): 6–9 months for a fully custom product; projects on an existing base formulation are faster
If your volumes are below the minimum, say so at first contact and we will tell you whether a project makes sense.
Volumes and lead times are approximate.
Why Brands Stay With Us
Manufacturing bars since 1999
We started as Runes Specialbageri, a small bakery in Gråbo making almond biscuits. Over 25 years later, we operate five production lines and have developed several hundred products for production scale.
A factory, not a middleman
We own the production, and you deal directly with the people who make your product.
More than 50 brands already run here
In around ten European countries, with those brands selling on into considerably more. We do not name our clients. The same confidentiality covers you, and we sign an NDA before any detailed discussion.
Certifications that open retail doors
FSSC 22000, EU Organic, RSPO, Informed Manufacturer, Sedex membership. We supply several European grocery chains through the brands we manufacture for.
Backed by Humble Group
Since 2022, we are part of Humble Group (Nasdaq Stockholm, Mid Cap). We cooperate across the group on sourcing and innovation, and it means financial stability that matters when a retailer evaluates supplier risk.
Sweden as country of origin
Your auditors will find a clean, well-documented facility. Gråbo sits 20 minutes from Gothenburg, with port, motorway and airport access to all of northern Europe.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the minimum order quantity for private label protein bars?
≈10,000 bars per order, against a yearly minimum of ≈100,000 bars. The same applies to a first order. Bars are supplied in cases of 12 to 20.
How long from first contact to finished product?
≈4–9 months from briefing to delivered goods. A fully custom formulation usually lands at 6–9 months; projects using an existing base formulation are faster. Organic certification does not add time when we already source the ingredients. We give you a realistic timeline at briefing.
Can you develop a custom recipe from scratch?
Yes. Our R&D team develops formulations to your spec: protein content, macros, taste profile, ingredient requirements, price-per-bar target. We aim to settle sampling in two rounds. Already have a recipe? See contract manufacturing. Want a proven recipe fast instead? See White label above.
What is the difference between private label, white label, and contract manufacturing?
Private label (this page) means we develop a new formulation with you from scratch. White label means you choose one of our existing, proven recipes and put your brand on it. Contract manufacturing means you already have your own recipe and spec, and we produce it.
Can I customise a white label formulation?
No. On a white label product, the packaging design is what you change. The bar itself stays as it is, and the format is set by the line it runs on. If you need to change the product, that is a private label project.
What certifications does your facility hold?
FSSC 22000 (food safety, GFSI-recognised), EU Organic (SE-EKO-06), RSPO (palm-derived ingredients), Informed Manufacturer (banned-substance assurance), and Sedex membership (ethical trade).
Do you produce organic protein bars?
Yes. We hold EU Organic certification under SE-EKO-06. Your bars can carry the EU Organic label. We are one of the few bar manufacturers in the Nordic region with this certification.
How do you handle allergens?
Our facilities produce with traces of milk, egg and soy. Nuts and peanuts are handled only in one of our two factories, and we have procedures in place to produce gluten-free, nut-free and peanut-free products.
What packaging options are available?
Flow-wrapped individual bars as standard, plus retail-ready display boxes and custom carton formats. Bars ship in cases of 12 to 20. You own the packaging design. We support on technical specification, and our print suppliers handle proofing.
Do you sign NDAs?
Yes. Ask for one at first contact. We sign it before any detailed discussion of your product or formulation.
Which countries do you deliver to?
All EU and EEA markets, plus the UK. We ship from Gråbo to your warehouse, distribution centre or retail partner, and we handle export documentation ourselves and together with our freight partners.
Start Your Project
Send us your brief: what kind of bar, what volume, and when you need it. We come back within a week with an assessment of what we can do and what it will cost.
Get a Quote Request Samples