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Sunday, March 11, 2007

Oh Yeah! Protein Wafer Bars More Like Oh No!


If you like the "low-carb" Oh Yeah! bars, then you MUST read this!

One of the things you hear me repeat over and over again within the context of livin' la vida low-carb is to be sure you are reading the nutrition labels on everything you buy carefully. I know there are some food purists out there who will preach to me that if it has a label on it, then it's probably not something you need to be buying. Yeah, yeah! That's nice for you, but in the real world there are those of us who enjoy having some low-carb treats every now and then.

With that said, I am constantly having to caution people to read labels like a hawk or else you may be setting yourself up for disaster and disappointment in your low-carb weight loss efforts by consuming more "hidden" sugars and carbs than you bargained for. This is not good.

But what if that favorite "low-carb" bar of yours that you've put your trust and faith in the manufacturer telling you the truth about what you are putting in your mouth ain't exactly as low in carbohydrates as they claim it is after all, hmmm? Unfortunately, that's exactly what has happened with the popular new Oh Yeah! protein wafer sticks from a company called ISS Research now appearing in several of the major online low-carb and health retail sites.

BUYER BEWARE!

These are the latest protein bars to hit the market and they come in several tempting and tantalizing flavors, including Chocolate Chocolate, Chocolate Mint, Chocolate Peanut Butter, Peanut Butter Cup, Vanilla Creme, and Vanilla Peanut Butter Creme. Plus, they supposedly only have 3g carbs for the two-stick serving, according to the nutritional information currently published on various web sites carrying these Oh Yeah! protein wafer bars.

Check out this fun video review of the Chocolate Mint flavor of the Oh Yeah! bars from my friend and fellow blogger Melting Mama who both she and her husband lost well over 100 pounds each following gastric bypass surgery and now the low-carb lifestyle (she REALLY likes them as you'll quickly discover):



Although Melting Mama says she enjoys these Oh Yeah! protein wafer bars that are what she says "like a thick Kit Kat bar," it seems the manufacturer ISS Research has engaged in one of the most deceptive nutritional label marketing practices that exists today. It literally makes me sick to my stomach to even think about all the poor, unsuspecting low-carb dieters who are shelling out good money for a product like this when the fact is it isn't at all what it claims to be.

What did ISS Research do?

Well, the dirty little secret about their allegedly 3g carb protein sticks is the fact that it grossly understates the actual carbs by more than half! Actually, the entire package of Oh Yeah! protein wafer bars have 8g carbs for the two wafers (not 3g as has been purported), or 6g net carbs (when you subtract the 2g dietary fiber).

But even 6g is DOUBLE the 3g that has been floated around out there about these sticks. Now, if they listed the serving size as 1 stick rather than the entire packaging, then they could have gotten away with marketing this product as 3g net carbs. Unfortunately, that's not what they did and now people have caught on to the scheme.

This may not seem like a big deal, but it is. How many people will decide to purchase the Oh Yeah! protein wafer bars simply because they ASSUMED the 3g total carbs for both sticks in the package was valid? Haven't we all at one time or another while livin' la vida low-carb simply trusted the label to tell us the truth and we did? You have, I have, we all have.

So now what?

Well, ISS Research claims they recently corrected all the nutritional info on their site after having their products tested in the lab for the accurate carb count following several complaints from concerned customers. But apparently they haven't informed all of their distributors of this major change yet since the old information still persists on several online retail stores.

If you are a low-carb retailer and carry the Oh Yeah! protein wafer bars, then please check your web site listing to make sure it isn't still listed as 3g carbs per package. Please contact ISS Research immediately about updating you with the latest nutritional info changes because this could seriously jeopardize your reputation amongst your regular clientele. I'm sure your customers will not be very happy or forgiving if you keep selling them something that claims to have 3g carbs and it really has 8g. EEEEK!

You can get all the latest on the most up-to-date nutritional info available on the Oh Yeah! protein wafer bars by visiting the ISS Research page about this product. While you are there, you can also access the recent Certificate of Analysis for each of the various bars for their actual carb count which can be as high as nearly 10g carbs per package. 8-O

This just goes to show you that it's better to sometimes count those low-carb treats as a few MORE carbs than what's listed on the packaging in your daily carb count so you don't go over your budgeted carbs for the day. Let this Oh Yeah! protein wafer bar story serve as an excellent lesson learned so you're not saying "oh no" when you step on that scale.

Don't be discouraged by this. Instead, let it serve as a reminder of what you are doing and where you are headed with your weight and health. There will be tiny obstacles like this that will come your way from time to time, but stay strong and vigilant in the face of adversity. In the end, you'll come out a better person because of it. Just keep on livin' la vida low-carb! :)

You can send your feedback about this issue to ISS Research by using this contact page.

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9 Comments:

Blogger Melting Mama said...

GACK! Hey, I still adore these bars. These-slightly-more-carbolicious-bars. They win in the taste department for now. :-) As for the weight LOSS area, I don't know. I stopped eating them because I'm an Oh Yeah Addict.

3/12/2007 7:12 AM  
Blogger TESS said...

Just yesterday I was in the process of placing an order to one of my favorite online stores and I came across these. What made me re think was that 1 gram of sugar they listed. I said O Wait! 1 gram of sugar is 1 teaspoon(approx) so I looked a little deeper and found a serving is 2 not one so bypassed. Just the 1 g of sugar possibility was enough to scream Danger Ahead!

3/12/2007 7:52 AM  
Blogger TESS said...

I just went to the melting mama website and all I can say is I am soooooooo grateful I lost my weight the old fashioned way.I just can't imagine eating the way they have to for the rest of my life. At least when I eat the wrong way I suffer only mental pain.

3/12/2007 8:34 AM  
Blogger Unknown said...

I'm a serious "dumper" so stay away from these and other protein bars. I would be afraid of not being able to stop eating them.

3/12/2007 10:21 AM  
Blogger Jimmy Moore said...

Okay, at the risk of exposing my igorance (just in case there was any doubt about it before-LOL!), what is a "dumper?" Please keep it clean, but I have no idea what you're talking about. Seriously!

3/12/2007 10:26 AM  
Blogger Melting Mama said...

If she is referring to WLS - it's the physiological reaction of your digestion and blood sugars to food eaten. Hence WHY some of us follow a lower-carb diet (not no carb) because carbs can cause a severe reaction in the form of nausea, pain, diarrhea, cramping, all sorts of things that Pepto-Bismol can't touch. Lovely, no?

3/15/2007 7:10 AM  
Blogger Kevin M. said...

Good call, Jimmy. These cynical marketeers need to be held accountable for bold-faced lies.

3/15/2007 8:43 PM  
Blogger Melting Mama said...

Just my experience, but since I have such a hard time eating most anything - if I can digest the ISS Bars, they could be very well made of recycled tires and I'd be happy at this point. :)

4/02/2007 9:43 AM  
Blogger Recovering Fatty said...

I have never believed these bars to have 3 carbs. Compared to the carb/protein content, I would rather do protein shakes. Carb counts are usually lower, they are better tasting, and protein bars are somewhat a slippery slope... and misleading. Thats just my opinion. But the Oh Yeah bars are ok occasionally; not on my list of products to make a regular habit.

3/09/2008 2:05 PM  

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