Why it matters:
- Functional foods, characterized by health-supporting ingredients, are growing at a compound annual rate of 8.9%, and nootropics, ingredients designed to support cognitive health, are rising at a 9% rate, according to Grand View Research and Research and Markets, respectively.
- Sales of startup MOSH protein bars have benefited from the trend, rising more than 70% in each of the last two years to hit $12 million in 2024.
- The brand, founded by mother-son duo Maria Shriver and Patrick Schwarzenegger, has built a following among women, who have historically lagged far behind men in protein bar consumption.
MOSH is seeking to break new ground when it comes to the fast-growing markets for both protein bars and functional foods with health promoting ingredients.
The celebrity-owned company—founded by Journalist and former First Lady of California Maria Shriver and her son, Actor Patrick Schwarzenegger—aims to appeal to consumers on multiple levels. In addition to being fortified with protein, the bars also contain ingredients that are targeted toward brain health—known as nootropics—and ingredients targeting other benefits as well. Further supporting its positioning as “The Brain Brand,” MOSH also directs a portion of its sales to support research of Alzheimer’s disease.
After the company self-funded its launch in 2021, MOSH has seen its annual sales increase by more than 70% in each of the last two years, rising from about $4 million in 2022 to $7 million in 2023, then to $12 million last year. In the first quarter of this year, revenue was up 100% over year-ago results, the company said.
Although the majority of its sales have been through digital channels, the bars have been a runaway success at retail, said Jeff Gamsey, MOSH’s President and Chief Operating Officer, in an interview with CO—. MOSH protein bars are in about 1,000 stores now, and the company plans to sell in 2,000 locations by year-end and 5,000 by the end of 2026.
Protein bar’s success marks courtship of women—an underserved customer segment
The company’s products were first adopted by the high-end, health-focused Erewhon supermarket chain in the Los Angeles area, and last year ranked among its bestselling protein bar varieties, Gamsey said. The bars have since rolled out across the country in Sprouts Farmers Markets, another retailer that is focused on better-for-you products, and have expanded to additional brick-and-mortar supermarket chains, including Kroger-owned stores in several markets. MOSH bars are also available online directly from the company’s own website, as well through Amazon, Instacart, and Thrive Market.
A key reason for the brand’s success, Gamsey said, is that MOSH bars expand the customer base beyond the men who have long dominated protein-bar consumption.
“MOSH brings a more female demographic to the protein bar aisle, and we think that’s why MOSH is being proven to really grow the set,” he said.
While men have historically purchased protein bars to help build muscle, MOSH touts a set of benefits that appeal to women as well and are relatively low in sugar to boot. MOSH also has an exclusive agreement to be the only protein bar that contains Cognizin Citicoline, a nootropic. It also incorporates Lion’s Mane mushroom, Ashwagandha, Omega-3s, and Vitamins B12 and D3, ingredients purported to support brain health and other benefits.
Functional foods are a fast-growing market
Functional foods have been a key growth segment among grocery CPG products. The U.S. functional foods market is expected to reach $131.45 billion by 2030, reflecting a compound annual growth rate of 8.9% from 2024 levels, according to a Grand View Research report.
Meanwhile, the U.S. nootropics market is growing just as fast. It was valued at $2.81 billion in 2024 and is projected to reach $4.68 billion by 2030, rising at a compound annual growth rate of 9%, according to a report from ResearchAndMarkets.com.
“The fundamental driver is the increasing societal emphasis on optimal mental performance in various aspects of life, from demanding professional careers to competitive academic pursuits,” the Research and Markets report concluded. “Individuals are actively seeking solutions to improve focus, memory, attention span, and learning capabilities to gain a competitive edge and enhance productivity.”
[Read more: Mushrooms Emerge as Growth Opportunity Across the Grocery Landscape]
Targeting taste as well as health with in-store samplings that drive retail sales and repeat purchases
In addition to the health benefits that MOSH seeks to provide, Gamsey said the bars also offer taste and texture that distinguish it from other bars on the market. In fact, Women’s Health magazine recently named MOSH as the best-tasting protein bar on the market, he pointed out.
“Oftentimes functional foods get a bad rap in terms of taste,” he said. “It’s like they sacrifice taste for function, but we do not.”
Gamsey said Founders Shriver and Schwarzenegger are very involved in the tastings during the development of new products.
“They each have very refined palates and very high standards, and nothing gets to market unless it meets their expectations,” he said.
As a result of the company’s focus on taste and texture, in-store sampling has helped drive MOSH’s success at retail, Gamsey said.
“The key to success for us seems to be to get as many customers to taste the product as possible,” he said.
The company has a robust in-store sampling program, which has proven to not only drive strong sales at the sampling events themselves but follow-up purchases as well, Gamsey said.
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A key reason for the brand’s success, [Jeff] Gamsey [President and COO of MOSH] said, is that MOSH bars expand the customer base beyond the men who have long dominated protein-bar consumption.
A social mission based on personal experience and the ‘interesting dynamic’ sparked by celebrity founders
Shriver and Schwarzenegger founded MOSH to focus on brain health after seeing Shriver’s father, Sargent Shriver, battle Alzheimer’s disease.
The company has focused specifically on brain health for women, Gamsey said, because about two-thirds of Alzheimer’s sufferers are women, yet most Alzheimer’s disease research has focused on men. MOSH donates a portion of all sales to the Women’s Alzheimer’s Movement at Cleveland Clinic.
The company’s celebrity ownership also has been a boon when it comes to getting placement on retail shelves, Gamsey said, although it can also present challenges at times. Among them have been the big surges in demand that have occurred after Shriver and Schwarzenegger have promoted MOSH bars at public appearances. Schwarzenegger starred in the most recent season of the HBO series The White Lotus and often pitched the bars while doing publicity appearances for the show.
“It creates an interesting dynamic—making sure that we always have enough inventory, but not too much inventory,” Gamsey said.
The company works with a co-manufacturer that has multiple facilities to support production, he said.
In addition to focusing on expanding its retail presence, MOSH’s future could also include additional products, Gamsey said. The brand’s most recent product introductions were two new vegan protein bars, which have already been picked up by Sprouts, he said.
“We think that we win in taste, we win in texture, we win at function, and we have a very compelling mission that appeals to a ton of customers,” said Gamsey. “We’re building a brand and a platform that appeals across generations.”
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