Snack · Protein popcorn
Protein‑coated popcorn
Make a protein coating stick without losing the crunch.
Light, dry crunch Status: Formula delivered
Fiber products · Lebanon · UAE
High‑fiber products that still taste and feel right
To add fiber to a food or drink without ruining it, choose the fiber for the product first: the same grams of two different fibers can turn a drink into gel or a bar into rock. Firas Bader, The Food Engineer, develops and reformulates high-fiber, low-sugar products for brands and manufacturers in Lebanon and the UAE, and supports trials with your manufacturer.
Why fiber breaks a product
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Fiber is a family, not one ingredient
Same 6 g of fiber, two different drinks: psyllium turns a drink into gel, inulin stays in the drink. Each fiber behaves differently in each product.
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It takes the water
Fiber holds water. In a bar or a bake that can mean dry, dense or hard as a rock; in a drink, thick or gritty.
Read the article -
It changes the taste
Fiber changes how sweet a product tastes, so sweetness is tuned again after every fiber change.
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Day one can fool you
A fiber product can feel fine fresh and change by the end of its shelf life. Both are tested side by side.
Why now
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Almost nobody is making it yet
At the Lebanese Industry Expo 2026 the launches were strong, and high-fiber, low-sugar products were almost absent. Protein was the trend; fiber is next.
Read the article -
The global data agrees
Launches with both protein and fiber claims grew 15% in a year (Innova Market Insights, Oct 2026).
Read the article
Products I work on
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Bars and snacks, ready-to-drink and dairy drinks, bread and baked goods, chocolate and sweets.
Texture and shelf life, kept
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Snack · Nuts
Salted peanuts
Stop rancidity and keep the crunch over time.
Shelf life 6 → 12 months Status: Reformulated
What I can do
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New Product Development
From an idea to a final, tested formula.
Proof: Pawpots 4 concepts → 2 SKUs
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Reformulation & Fixes
Better taste, texture or cost for a product you already sell.
Proof: Cake mix optimisation Collapse fixed
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Shelf Life & Stability
Keep your product fresh, crunchy and stable for longer.
Proof: Al Kazzi Shelf life 6 → 12 months
The Food Engineer
Meet Firas
I'm Firas Bader, a food engineer and R&D formulator. I develop products for startups and established manufacturers across beverages, dairy, snacks, confectionery, pet food and functional foods.
More about me
Watch: My name isn’t on the pack. My work is inside.
Watch on Instagram (opens in a new tab)The video has English subtitles burned into the picture; there is no separate captions track.
Process
How a project runs
Every project starts with a conversation. Not every project needs all six steps.
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Discovery & brief
We talk about your product, your goal and where you are now, then agree the brief.
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Assessment
I look at what the product needs and what is possible, before any formulation work.
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Formulation & prototypes
I build the formula and make samples, then refine them with you in rounds.
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Testing & shelf life
Samples are checked against the brief, including how they hold over time.
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Scale-up with your manufacturer
I write the factory process and support trials with your manufacturer.
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Market readiness
You receive the final formula and a clear handover, ready for your launch steps.
Questions
Can you add fiber to a product I already sell?
Yes, that is a reformulation. We keep your product as the target for taste and texture, and add fiber in steps until it reaches the goal.
How it worksWhich fiber should I use?
It depends on the product. A drink, a bar and a bake need different fibers, so the fiber is chosen for the format first, before the recipe.
Can it be high in fiber and low in sugar?
Yes, and that is the gap in the market today. Sweetness, texture and fiber are designed together, then tested fresh and at the end of shelf life.
How it worksDo you have your own factory?
No. I write the factory process and support trials with your manufacturer.
Will you sign an NDA?
Yes. You can ask for an NDA before you share any details about your product.
I don't have a company yet. Can you help?
Yes. Founders with an idea are welcome, company or not. Tell me where you are, and we start from there.
Have a product challenge?
A new idea, a formula that isn't working, or a shelf-life problem. Let's talk about it.