Chocolate bar that has 30% less sugar ... but ‘tastes just as sweet’
CHOCOLATE bars which keep their sweetness but contain 30 per cent less sugar are about to go on sale in Britain.
A technique inspired by candy floss is behind the launch of Milkybar Wowsomes, the first chocolate of its kind worldwide. They contain aerated, porous particles which dissolve more quickly on the tongue, giving the same perception of sweetness but with less sugar.
Scientists at Nestlé’s product technology centre in York along with experts in Switzerland developed the technique and believe it could cut sugar content by up to 40 per cent.
The Wowsomes are also a new take on the Milkybar, which has been popular since its launch 81 years ago.
They are being sold as small bars of white chocolate or a combination of milk and white chocolate and contain no artificial sweeteners, said Nestlé. They are also being sold in multi-packs and bags.
A single 18g bar has 6.6g of sugar and a calorie count of 95. Nestlé claims that this is 30 per cent less than for standard chocolate of the same size.
A standard Milkybar is nearly 40 per cent bigger at 25g but has double the sugar at 13.2g. An 18g milk chocolate Freddo bar made by rivals Cadbury has 10g of sugar with the same 95 calories as a Wowsomes bar.
Nestlé’s move comes after pressure from doctors, the Government and Public Health England on food giants to cut sugar levels to help combat obesity.
Jas Scott de Martinville, who heads Nestlé’s global research and development, said: ‘It has been a real challenge for us to get to this stage.
‘To create a confectionery product in just 12 months which has 30 per cent less sugar than similar chocolate products and contains no artificial sweeteners is extraordinary.’
Other low- sugar products are in the pipeline using the technique, he added.