As the world gets more health conscious, people are substituting confectionery and chips with cereal bars - a healthier and less fattening alternative snack. Imported brands like Kellogg's and Nature Valley have always been available, but lately a local product by Temmy's has appeared on the shelves for about a fifth of the price. Temmy's is the brand name under Mass Food; they have been making cereal since 1996. "The natural extension was to produce cereal bars. There is a demand which is picking up world wide, says founder Tamer El Bahay. They opened a new factory for this product importing high tech machines from a well known German company called Sollich, famous for confectionery machinery. There are six bars out, half of them are cereals filled with cream which taste like Rice Crispy Snacks that come in a variety of Fruit Loops, Yogurt Flakes and Choco Puffs. The other three are Muesli, Granola bars and Power Flakes. A bar of any flavor costs a mere LE 1. A box with six bars costs LE 5.75. Their popularity can be attributed firstly to their healthy image. Using nutritional ingredients and high fiber helps digestion and also makes your body burn more calories a day. Temmy's bars range between 90 to 110 calories per bar. Good packaging is also an appealing concept. You can stick a bar in your pocket or in your handbag for an easy healthy energy boost - works well for people always on the move. Nearly 70 percent of the products manufactured are for export. El Bahay says they export to 33 countries, their biggest customers being Japan, the US, Australia and New Zealand as well as 60 percent of Africa. Temmy's cereal bars are available in supermarkets across Egypt.
