Daily Mail

Cadbury’s chocolate goes over to the dark side

- By Sean Poulter Consumer Affairs Editor

CADBURY is launching a new darker chocolate bar for ‘grown- ups’, but has shrunk the size – making it appear healthier.

The Darkmilk bar has a much higher cocoa content than the popular Dairy Milk and reflects an increasing demand for ‘pure’ chocolate with a stronger kick.

A standard Dairy Milk bar weighs 110g and normally costs £1.50, whereas Darkmilk is 23 per cent smaller at 85g but still has a price of £1.49. Cadbury has also shrunk the recommende­d portion size.

On Dairy Milk it lists a portion as six chunks of chocolate – 27.5g – adding up to 147 calories. The Darkmilk bar, pictured above, lists a portion as just three chunks – 14g – adding up to 79 calories.

The calorie count for Darkmilk is 562 per 100g, which means it is actually more likely to make consumers put on weight than Dairy Milk, which is 534 calories per 100g. Darkmilk is also higher in fat, although lower in sugar. The launch of Darkmilk comes as sales of chocolate with a cocoa content of 70 per cent and above are rising. This is despite the fact the powerful, often bitter, flavour can be an acquired taste.

These bars have been helped by studies showing they are high in flavonoids, which are reported to play a part in lowering blood pressure, maintainin­g healthy arteries and even helping brain function in the elderly.

Darkmilk is made with 40 per cent cocoa solids – double the minimum of 20 per cent in Dairy Milk and higher than the 36 per cent in Bournville bars.

A spokesman for parent company Mondelez said: ‘Cadbury Darkmilk has been specially created to meet consumer demand – providing a more grown-up taste.’

The new product, which is due to go into Tesco stores this weekend with other retailers to follow, will be sold as Cadbury Darkmilk and Cadbury Darkmilk Roasted Almond. Tam Fry, of the National Obesity Forum, accused Cadbury of exploiting loopholes in labelling laws to make Darkmilk bar appear healthier than it is.

He said: ‘That Cadbury feels able to package its product in this way is more a reflection on how weak the laws are in helping customers know what is in their food.

‘Loopholes abound and industry doesn’t hold back in exploiting them.’ He said the Government should tighten laws once control of food labelling is returned after Brexit.

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