If you’re trying to cut back on sugar but can’t resit the lure of chocolate, you might want to check out Nestlé’s latest product, Milkybar Wowsomes.
The chocolate bar, available in the UK and Ireland from next week, is the first in the world to use Nestlé’s sugar reduction technique, which is designed to leave products with 30% less sugar than similar chocolate bars without changing the taste.
Researchers at the confectionery giant made a scientific breakthrough last year when they transformed the structure of sugar through a newly developed process using only natural ingredients. Inspired by candy floss, experts created aerated, porous particles of sugar that dissolve more quickly in the mouth. This, they claim, allows someone to perceive the same level of sweetness as before, while consuming less sugar.
The launch is part of Nestlé’s commitment to remove 10% of sugar across its products through a range of methods and initiatives throughout 2018. The company, which owns brands including KitKat, Yorkie and Aero, said the changes will not affect the taste of its chocolate. The move, announced last March, comes after the Government put pressure on the food industry to make products healthier in a bid to tackle childhood obesity.
As well as containing 30% less sugar than similar chocolate products, Milkybar Wowsomes contains no artificial sweeteners, preservatives, colours or flavourings.
The chocolate has milk as its number one ingredient, contains crispy oat cereal pieces, is a source of fibre and is gluten free. It comes in two variants, white chocolate and a combined milk and white chocolate. The range has products in a number of different sizes and the largest sized bars are 18g and have 95 calories each.
It has taken just over a year for Nestlé teams in Switzerland, the UK and the Czech Republic to take the scientific breakthrough and turn it into a new confectionery product.
Commenting ahead of the launch, Stefano Agostini, CEO of Nestlé UK and Ireland said: “It is with great pride that the UK and Ireland becomes the first market in the world to use this exciting technology to create such a great tasting confectionery product. We have an unrivalled research and development network and the experts at our Product Technology Centre in York have been instrumental in this breakthrough. Teams across our UK business and around the world have been working incredibly hard to make this launch a reality.
“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 be rolled out across all major retailers across the UK and Ireland from next week.