A protein bar that boasts ample amounts of the macronutrient while still being low-calorie — and tasting halfway decent? That’s a miracle. Or… is it not exactly as it seems? That’s the crux of the current controversy surrounding David Protein. A class action lawsuit alleges that David Protein — which sells gold-foil-wrapped, protein-packed bars that come in flavors like Red Velvet, Peanut Butter and Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough — incorrectly labeled the calorie and fat counts on these bars, and that customers are eating much more than they were led to believe.
David Protein — which uses a blend of milk protein isolate, collagen, whey concentrate and egg white — claims the bar contains 150 calories and 2 grams of fat per serving. However, the class action lawsuit, filed Jan. 23 in federal court in New York, says that independent lab testing found the bars contain far more calories and fat than advertised: allegedly between 268 and 275 calories and 11 to 13.5 grams of fat.
The three plaintiffs in the case say they and other consumers paid more for the bars because they believed the nutrition information on the packaging was accurate. Now, they are asking for damages, refunds and an order requiring the company to stop selling products with allegedly inaccurate nutrition labels.
What does David Protein say about the controversy?
Peter Rahal, David’s founder and CEO, said the claims in the lawsuit are inaccurate.
“We stand behind the accuracy of our product labeling, which complies with FDA requirements for measuring and reporting nutritional content,” Rahal told Vanity Fair in January. “This particular claim, among other things, fails to understand how the FDA measures the calories for EPG, one of our key ingredients. We intend to defend this claim vigorously.”
And Rahal further explained in the food newsletter Feed Me, detailing why testing found discrepancies between the label and the actual bars. He alleges that the tests referred to in the lawsuit, which used a bomb calorimeter, were not intended to determine how many calories food contains.
Rahal told Feed Me that the Food and Drug Administration requires food labels to reflect “metabolizable energy,” meaning the calories the human body can actually absorb and use. Some ingredients in the bars — such as dietary fiber, certain sweeteners and a fat substitute called esterified propoxylated glycerol (EPG) — show up as very high in calories when burned in a lab test but provide much fewer calories when digested.
Rahal said that the FDA recognizes this difference and assigns EPG a value of 0.7 calories per gram instead of the 9 calories per gram found in regular fat, and that the bars’ labels follow those FDA rules.
“Our products are labeled correctly and in full compliance with all FDA regulations,” Rahal said. “The claims in this lawsuit misrepresent how calories are determined under U.S. nutrition labeling standards.”
What is EPG, and why is it so significant?
EPG is the key ingredient in David Protein bars — and also the one that has brought the company the most controversy.
The modified plant-based fat substitute is what makes the bars so innovative, capable of replacing palm oil or butter with zero calories. It follows in the footsteps of the much-maligned Olestra, which hit the food scene in the ’90s as a low-fat diet miracle before plummeting in popularity after Olestra-containing foods caused consumers severe gastrointestinal issues.
EPG, however, does not have the same negative side effects and is now an ingredient highly sought after by food companies seeking to make low-calorie foods. It was created by scientists at Kansas State University and later commercialized by the company Epogee. David Protein built its products around the ingredient and, in May 2025, acquired Epogee to expand EPG production. Now, the company plans to use the ingredient not just in its bars but also in future products like low-calorie ice cream.
However, David Protein’s acquisition led to accusations of ingredient hoarding. In June 2025, three food companies sued David Protein for taking over Epogee, alleging it was now unlawfully blocking food companies that used EPG from accessing the ingredient. The lawsuit claimed that David Protein “hoarded all available EPG inventory production capacity for the next two years to ensure competitors have no access to EPG.”
What does a food scientist say about the accusations?
Walter Dullemond, a food scientist with FTC International Consulting, tells Yahoo that David Protein’s Rahal is in the right here: Dullemond says the lawsuit did not use the proper assessment when looking at the fat and calories in David Protein bars.
A bomb calorimeter measures the calorie content of a substance by burning it and calculating the heat released. The problem, however, is that substances like EPG, as well as things like fiber and sugar alcohol, release heat but are “only partially digested and deliver a limited number of calories” when consumed, Dullemond explains.
The appropriate way to assess the calories in the David Protein bar, he says, is to add up the amounts of the ingredients in the bar and multiply by their established calories per gram. EPG, for example, contains 0.7 calories per gram compared with 9 calories for regular fat. So, per Dullemond’s assessment, David Protein isn’t pulling a Mean Girls and selling bars with inaccurate calorie counts.
What to know about protein bars
Dietitian Avery Zenker tells Yahoo that protein bars can be a good choice depending on your dietary needs — especially if you’re on the go or engaging in activities like hiking or camping, where you need something high in protein and shelf-stable.
If you’re looking for a bar that will actually keep you full, Zenker recommends choosing one with at least 15 to 20 grams of protein. Bonus if it also has fiber, though it’s not that common. David Protein, for example, has 28 grams of protein and 1 to 2 grams of fiber per bar.
Zenker also suggests steering clear of added sugars, as well as sugar alcohols, which can cause gas, bloating, diarrhea and abdominal pain in some people, particularly in larger amounts.
While protein bars such as David Protein can be a smart swap for, say, a low-protein fast food meal on occasion, they shouldn’t make up a big part of your diet.
“Ideally, we are still getting a variety of other foods [in our diets], like veggies, fruits, whole grains, nuts and seeds,” Zenker says. “You’re probably not going to reach your optimal health if you’re relying too much on protein bars.”
