EVALUATION CRITERIA FOR CEREAL BARS IN WELLNESS-ORIENTED HOSPITALITY BUSINESSES

Abstract

The use of cereal bars in the wellness-oriented segment of the hotel and restaurant business is accompanied by methodological contradictions caused by the dominance of formalized approaches to quality assessment. In HoReCa practice, the selection of such products is largely based on generalized nutritional indicators, in particular systems such as Nutri-Score, which do not account for the degree of technological processing, recipe complexity, or the level of ingredient naturalness. Under these conditions, products with formally acceptable characteristics may fail to meet the expectations of wellness-oriented consumers regarding ingredient transparency, naturalness, and service-related appropriateness for use in healthy, preventive, or restorative nutrition programs. The relevance of the study is determined by the growing demand for Healthy Snack products in wellness hotels, sanatorium-resort, and rehabilitation facilities, where food products are considered not only as sources of nutrients but also as elements of the service offering and integral components of the overall guest experience. In this context, cereal bars assume the role of markers of a facility’s wellness orientation, which requires alignment between nutritional quality, recipe naturalness, consumer perception, and conditions of service use. At the same time, an analysis of scientific sources indicates the fragmented nature of existing approaches to the evaluation of cereal bars, in which nutritional models, naturalness indices, and studies of consumer perception are considered in isolation, without taking into account the specific characteristics of the wellness and sanatorium-resort HoReCa environment. The study applies a multicriteria approach to the evaluation of cereal bars, integrating nutritional, technological, and service logics of ingredient selection. Nutritional scoring systems and naturalness indices are treated not as labeling tools but as analytical foundations for developing formulations adapted to the conditions of in-house HoReCa production. The ingredients were structured into functional groups; the roles of binding and sweetening components in shaping the nutritional profile, texture, and consumer perception of the product were analyzed; and the limitations of traditional industrial binding systems in the wellness segment were identified. The results indicate that acceptable Nutri-Score ratings do not guarantee compliance with wellness philosophy in the absence of control over recipe naturalness and service suitability. The proposed integrated approach makes it possible to harmonize nutritional quality and the level of naturalness of cereal bars without excessive complication of formulations or technological processes, while ensuring predictable product characteristics under HoReCa conditions. The practical significance of the findings lies in their potential use as a methodological basis for shaping Healthy Snack assortments in the wellness-oriented hotel and restaurant business, taking into account requirements for nutritional, consumer, and service value, as well as for further scientific research and practical implementation across various HoReCa formats.