Mars to cut chocolate product calorie count
![The popular Snickers bar will have its calorie content reduced to 250 or under as part of Mars' plan](/var/wrbm_gb_food_pharma/storage/images/_aliases/wrbm_small/publications/food-beverage-nutrition/foodmanufacture.co.uk/article/2012/02/17/mars-to-cut-chocolate-product-calorie-count/1073887-2-eng-GB/Mars-to-cut-chocolate-product-calorie-count.jpg)
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.