Just as you may have thought that there wasn’t any more room for innovation in the protein bar category, a US start-up has entered the market with what is best described as something between an ice cream and a protein bar.

Founded by nutrition coach and professional beach volleyball player Stephen Longo, Orka – whose brand name is the Icelandic word for energy – wants to “advance the cold category” with its frozen protein bars. The bars feature egg whites as the first ingredient, followed by whey protein and light cream, creating a product that provides 270 kcal and 15 grams of protein per 80-gram bar. Thanks to a sweetener blend consisting mainly of inulin and erythritol, Orka bars are also relatively low in sugar at 5-8.5 grams per bar.

The brand strongly promotes itself on an energy platform, promising to deliver “a healthy and indulgent refreshment to invigorate the day”. Messaging also touches on themes like protein quality and digestibility, with Orka claiming to use real ingredients that are more easily digested and less likely to cause bloating than those found in traditional protein bars.

With the bars being sold in traditional dessert flavours (cookies & cream, raspberry, vanilla bean and mint) and covered in chocolate, there is also a significant focus on indulgence with Orka claiming to be “better than ice cream” and deliver “the coolest, creamiest burst of energy”.

Launched in 2023, Orka is still establishing itself on the market and sells mostly DTC through the brand website at the moment. The products are also available in around 50 gyms and health stores in the New Jersey and New York area of the US, which is where the brand has its headquarters. At an RRP of $3.99 (€3.43) per bar, or $13.99 (€12.02) for a box of four, Orka is slightly more affordable than competing products such as Perfect Bar’s refrigerated protein bars and RXBar’s egg white bars.