Nestle brings sugarreduction technology to UK’s Milkybar
Nestle SA plans to begin selling slimmed-down Milkybar chocolates in the UK and Ireland in the first implementation of a new technology that promises the same sweetness with 30% less sugar.
The Swiss food giant said a new version of the candy bars will be available on store shelves next week. It’s introducing them in markets where government and consumer groups are putting pressure on the food industry to reduce calories in snacks amid rising rates of obesity and diabetes, especially among children.
The new products, called Milkybar Wowsomes, are the first application of a technology Nestle unveiled in 2016 that makes the structure of sugar more porous, so that a smaller amount
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produces the same sweetness and dissolves faster, like cotton candy. It’s made by spraying a mixture of sugar, milk powder and water into warm air, then drying it.
Milk is used to keep it from getting too sticky. The technology will let the company cut sugar without resorting to artificial sweeteners or alternatives such as stevia.
“Nestle is testing consumer acceptance with the Milkybar, though I see no issues as consumers want natural ingredients, and stevia still often has a bitter aftertaste,” said Alain Oberhuber, an analyst at MainFirst Bank.
The company said the method is patented, but it can’t be used for beverages because the sugar would be dissolved too quickly.