A NEW front has been opened in the crackdown on sugar after Nestlé announced it has developed a way to cut a third of the white stuff from its chocolate.
Inspired by candy floss, experts created aerated, porous particles of sugar that dissolve more quickly in the mouth.
This allows someone to perceive the same level of sweetness as before while consuming less sugar It comes in the wake of drink-maker AG Barr’s decision to slash much of the sugar from Irn-Bru.
The new recipe will see a Nestlé created mainly from milk which contains no artificial sweeteners.
READ MORE: Glasgow firm on mission to make chocolate healthier
The company is marketing its Milkybar Wowsomes as a healthier alternative to regular chocolate, and is selling them first in the UK and Ireland.
Nutritional experts have given the product a cautious welcome, saying that any move to cut sugar from diet is step in the right direction.
Cancer Research UK prevention expert based at the University of Stirling, Professor Linda Bauld, said that one of the charity’s aims is to convince companies to “reformulate” products to make them healthier after launching a campaign to cut obesity, the second-highest cause of cancer in Britain.
Prof Bauld, said: “We are not saying that sugar causes cancer, but high levels of sugar in our diets leads to weight gain which is does contribute to a higher risk of cancer.
“We should not exceed more than five per cent of the calories in our diet coming from free sugars, and in adults the average is currently 12%. Less sugar in chocolate could help with that.”
ANALYSIS: New recipe is welcome but more is needed to fight obesity epidemic
Milkybar Wowsomes uses milk and oat cereal pieces and is being hyped as a gluten-free source of fibre. The bars come in several different sizes, the largest being a 95-calorie version weighing in at 18g, and has two flavours – white chocolate and a combined milk and white chocolate.
Scientists at Nestlé labs in Switzerland, the UK and the Czech Republic were involved in developing a technique to create the product.
Jas Scott de Martinville, head of Nestlé’s confectionery product technology centre in York said: “The ambition behind Milkybar Wowsomes was enormous and 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.
READ MORE: Most Scots 'are poor judges of obesity'
“We have also made sure that our largest individually wrapped product contains 95 calories per bar. It is very rewarding to launch a great tasting product knowing all of the hard work that went into this development.
“We will continue our work and take this technology further so that we can deliver more confectionery products that taste great and are better for our consumers.”
Stefano Agostini, chief executive of Nestlé UK & Ireland, added: “We announced earlier this month that we have taken out more than 60 billion calories and 2.6 billion teaspoons of sugar from across our food and drink portfolio in the last three years. A new product like Milkybar Wowsomes introduces greater choice and allows parents to treat their children with chocolate that tastes great but has less sugar. We are demonstrating how we can, and will, contribute to a healthier future and that we take our public health responsibilities very seriously.”
Milkybar Wowsomes will begin to appear for sale in all major retailers across the UK and Ireland from next week.
The low-sugar chocolate bar is another move by the food and drink to create healthier products in the face of official disapproval over ballooning obesity rates.
READ MORE: New reduced-sugar Irn Bru: Makers say most fans won't notice the difference
Changes to Irn-Bru’s sugar content were announced in March last year, reducing the amount from 8.5 teaspoons to four and going from just under 140 calories to around 65 calories.
Drinks giant AG Barr tried to allay fears over the change, claiming their tests show most people can’t tell the difference.
READ MORE: Food Standards Scotland wants a sugar tax on sweet treats and a calorie cap on eating out
However, the decision to change the recipe divided opinion, with some drinkers complaining about the taste.
And Coca-Cola has confirmed plans to reduce pack sizes and increase prices ahead of next month’s “sugar tax”.
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