FAQs
Yes, we have brand new flavours and mix of delicious and nutritious ingredients. See each individual product pages for breakdown of ingredients, nutritional info and allergens.
We have also removed sesame seeds from the 40g range to help those with this allergy.
Our Chia & Berries and Salted Caramel & Pecan bars are now 100% palm oil free.
The palm oil in our other bars comes from a sustainable source. We are fully aware of the issues associated with the sourcing of palm oil, and we have taken this into account when sourcing our ingredients, in particular the vegetable oils and fats of palm origin. Unfortunately, at this moment in time, replacing palm oil is not the right solution to address the environmental and social problems associated with oil palm cultivation for two reasons. Firstly, replacing palm oil with other types of vegetable oil would mean that much larger amounts of land would need to be used, since palm trees produce 4-10 times more oil. To find out more, visit our sustainable palm oil page on the main website menu.
The total sugar stated on the nutritional label can be confusing because this includes the integral sugar found naturally in NINE plant-based ingredients, mainly seeds, fruit and vegan chocolate toppings.
We aim to only use as much sugar and rice syrup as needed to properly bind the bar together, with the sugars providing the first fix of energy before the body breaks down the complex nutrition contained in the seeds (and nuts or fruits where relevant) and slow release the rest of the natural energy and nutrients into the body.
Furthermore, from a health point of view there are many other nutrients in these ingredients that provide a great deal of health benefits so whatever smaller amount of added sugar is in a NINE we feel this is greatly out weighted by the majority of essential nutrients found in its main natural ingredients and the great taste it offers.
NINE is after all a sweet bar and we also know it is a much healthier option to many other sweet snack foods on the market. The sugar in a NINE plays a very important role as a binder and we have found from our own trials that it falls apart if removed. Sugar can generate health problems but only if it is eaten in excess or in an imbalanced diet. Natural sugar is found in the majority of foods, especially fruit in anything from trace to larger amounts.
There is a greater concern if more of the total sugar in a product is added as opposed to natural although sugar content should always be a consideration as part of a balanced diet. This is why we always encourage people to follow a recommended healthy balanced diet and see no reason why NINE cannot be a part of that.
We accept NINE cannot be nutritionally perfect but compared to many sweet snack bars it is much more nutritious. For us it is all about making a sweet natural bar that retains the nutrition of the core ingredient. NINE also provides an alternative for those who have to follow a specific free from diet such as gluten. If you like the taste then just enjoy as we recommend, in moderation.
NINE is made predominately with seeds and it’s these that give NINE most of its fat content. Seeds have a lower percentage of saturated fat and much higher percentage of unsaturated. For example, sunflower seeds (which form the base of every NINE) have a fat content that is around 90% unsaturated. On average, the ratio of good fat to bad fat in a NINE is typically 4:1.
It is well established that seeds have a high nutritional density including a high level of essential fatty acids. EFAs are commonly referred to as “good” fats which include EFAs such as omega 3. As with most fat containing foods there will be a range of both unsaturated and saturated but in seeds a much lower percentage of the fat is saturated compared to a higher percentage of unsaturated.
With fat it’s the “good/bad” ratio that’s important as the effect of the good can counterbalance the negative influence of the bad. Saturated fat is a real problem when foods like fried foods have a high ratio of unhealthy fats and very little other nutritional value. With seeds we feel the nutritional pluses more than outweigh the negatives. There is no such thing as the perfect nutritional food but compared to many other snack bars NINE is nutritionally denser.
We do stress that NINE should be eaten as part of a balanced diet and the FSA do accept a percentage of saturated fat as part of that balanced diet (10g per day). Generally as part of a balanced diet we see no reason why a NINE can’t be a tasty part of it.
NINE give you energy(1 unit of energy = 1 calorie) and embraces all the nutritional goodness of seeds which are also naturally high in calories. It is now understood that the most effective way of managing weight is to not rely on calorie counting in isolation but more to consider eating healthy nutritionally dense foods – i.e. foods that have a naturally high nutritional value (e.g. nuts, seeds, veg, fruit and pulses).
Seeds are generally a nutritionally dense food as they have a high nutritional value in a very small package. Compare it with something like a doughnut which may have a similar calorific value per 100g to seeds but is much more likely to have a very low nutritional value in a processed state.
This is commonly referred to as “empty calories,” calories which aside from an energy content have little other nutritional value. Nutritionally dense calories naturally contain both energy and a wider range of valuable nutrients such as minerals, vitamins, and essential amino acids. Nutritionally dense foods are also more likely to keep you fuller for longer making a diet more sustainable and enjoyable.
Eating NINE regularly will not pile on the pounds, that is much more to do with your overall diet and we always recommend following a recommended healthy balanced diet and active lifestyle which a NINE can be included as part of that.
Our NINE range of bars is vegan-friendly, and therefore also vegetarian! However, there is a very unlikely chance that our bars could contain milk, as the bakery that produces our bars occasionally handles these ingredients.
NINE do contain sugar so they are not specifically advisable for diabetics. However as our scientific understanding of diabetes has improved it has moved away from the traditional no sugar and now promotes an overall healthy diet, specifically managing blood sugar levels.
The advice from the DOH states “It is not true that if you have diabetes you will need to eat a special diet. Eat a healthy diet that is high in fibre, fruit and vegetables and low in fat, salt and sugar.” Eating the right type of carbohydrate is one of the main dietary considerations as it controls blood sugar levels. This means limiting your intake of foods with a high Glycaemic Index (GI) and replacing with lower, more regulating GI foods.
Although NINE contain sugar the main ingredient is seeds which is low GI. Studies also show different types of fat influence diabetes as essential fatty acids especially omega 3 can be beneficial. Type II is also greatly influenced by weight so it is important to achieve and maintain a balanced weight through a balanced calorific intake and exercise.
So although NINE are not necessarily suitable for diabetics they are perfectly acceptable as part of a healthy balanced diet and could be a healthier option compared to other snacks.
As with any health condition diabetics should always consult with a health professional before they consider any dietary changes and carry their instruction out under the recommended level of supervision and ongoing assessment.
Please email customerservice@9brand.co.uk and we’ll get back to you as quickly as we can.
Unfortunately, our wrapper packing is not completely recyclable. There is a thin plastic layer used inside to seal the wrapper so that our bars stay nice and fresh. Some recycling plants find it difficult to remove this plastic from the outer paper wrapping to recycle them. We’re currently looking into completely plastic-free alternatives that will be widely recyclable and we are committed to working towards a plastic-free/completely recyclable future for the packaging of our products. All our board is made from recycled material.
All our new 40g range are now sesame seed free –but please see individual product pages for full allergen breakdown.
Our 50g Breakfast bars still contain sesame but will be redeveloped in the summertime of 2021.
Yes, all our NINE bars are completely gluten free.
Yes, all our NINE bars are completely wheat free.
Yes, we don’t use whey or other non-vegan protein sources, just the natural plant protein from seeds and soya.
In order to lose weight, you should be watching what calories you consume. We are lower in calories than a lot of snacks such as a similar sized bar of chocolate, however, we are not a low-calorie snack. Instead, we offer better nutrition for those calories than a lot of other snacks.
All of our bars are made in the UK.
Unfortunately we can’t deliver parcels outside of the UK from our website. However, if your order is large enough, please email info@9brand.co.uk we’ll be able to quote you for a custom delivery charge.
Unfortunately we only do at select events or during certain marketing campaigns. However, we have sample packs for this very purpose over on our shop page which have a discounted price and also include free delivery, so you can try us for less!
Yes, we used to be 9Bar and now we are NINE 🙂
No, our bars aren’t organic.
Oh no, we’re sorry to hear this! Please email customerservice@9brand.co.uk so we can look into this for you immediately. If you can also provide us with any photos of the product, best before date, batch code (found after the best before date), flavour name and your address (so we can send you a free envelope to send the bar back to us for investigation), this’ll speed up getting you an answer on why this has happened.
Oh dear, please let us know the code you’re trying via email to info@9brand.co.uk and we’ll have our team look into why this is happening.
The top line of the black text should have a format of something like 03 03 20L6. You should ignore the last letter and number of this code to get the date. Therefore a bar with 03 03 20L6 has a best before of 3rd March 2020. The L6 code that comes after the best before date refers to the line that the product was packed at the factory (line 6).
