£78million plunge in chocolate sales

BRITONS are losing their appetite for the nation’s top chocolate bars in the wake of health warnings over sugar.

The 12 biggest names in UK chocolate have lost £78.3million in sales in the last year, a report has revealed.

Cadbury Dairy Milk suffered the greatest losses, with a 4.2 per cent slump in sales – equal to £19.9million.

The data from analysts IRI also showed that Maltesers sales fell by 7.6 per cent, or £8.9million, while sales of Crunchie bars dropped 14.9 per cent, or £6.8million.

Trade magazine The Grocer reported that the slump comes amid health warnings over sugar and rising childhood obesity, which have had a significant impact on chocolate makers. Public Health England has urged suppliers to reduce the level of sugar in products popular with youngsters, while health campaigners have called for a soft drinks levy, which is being introduced in April, to extend to confectionery.

The Grocer said: ‘It was only a matter of time until confectioners began to feel the heat. Chocolate, after all, is the thirdbiggest source of sugar in the diets of 11 to 18-year-olds, accounting for 7 per cent of the age group’s intake and 4 per cent of kids in general. Only soft drinks and fruit juice contribute more sugar to our youngsters’ diets.’ Some confectioners have already committed to making healthier products. Nestle announced in March that it would cut 10 per cent of sugar from its bars.

Another factor for the decline in sales is that there is simply more choice of snacks on the shelves, Karen Crawford of the Elizabeth Shaw chocolate brand said.

The Grocer added that Britons are increasingly rejecting sugar and demanding greater responsibility from brands.

But the IRI study shows that Lindt Excellence has seen the biggest growth of 14.1 per cent – worth £5million – as it benefited from growing demand for premium dark chocolate and a big advertising spend.