Mars to cut chocolate product calorie count
The firm revealed that the changes would take effect by the end of next year and will include all Mars chocolate products worldwide.
The new calorie-reduction programme is part of the US-based firm’s plan to improve the nutritional value of its products and to promote healthier snacking.
The news comes two years after Mars spent £8.2M on research and development of its products over a period of five years, which included the reformulation of bars such as Milky Way, Mars and Snickers. As a result, the snacks went on sale with 15 to 20% less saturated fat.
Snickers and Twix
The Snickers and Twix maker said that it believed its chocolate products could now feature as part of a healthy and balanced diet.
The changes will affect much-loved chocolate treats such as the Snickers bar, which currently contains 296 calories and the Mars bar, which contains 260 calories.
A spokeswoman told FoodManufacture.co.uk:“We believe that all of our products can be enjoyed as part of a healthy lifestyle and balanced diet - our commitment to making all our chocolate products no more than 250 calories per portion reflects this.
“These changes form part of our on-going efforts to encourage responsible consumption, and will come into effect globally by the end of next year.”
Mars also makes popular brands such as M&Ms and Juicy Fruit chewing gum.
