Our favourite chocolates are not only getting more expensive, they are getting less sweet too.
Nestlé, has announced plans to reduce the sugar content in its popular confectionery products including, KitKat, Aero, Quality Street and Yorkie bars in the UK and Ireland by 10 per cent.
The Swiss food giant said the move, which would see a cut of about 7,500 tonnes of sugar across its products, would be implemented by 2018.
The sugar will be replaced with higher quantities of existing ingredients or other, non-artificial ingredients, and the amount of calories will be limited.
Nestlé’s announcement comes as the UK and some cities in the US implement sugar taxes to help fight childhood obesity and diabetes, which affects four times as many people now than in 1980.
"Our confectionery brands have been enjoyed in the UK for more than a century and we know that if we can improve these products nutritionally, provide more choice and information for the consumer, together with other categories, we can have a significant impact on public health,” Fiona Kendrick, chairman and chief executive of Nestlé for the UK and Ireland, said.
Last year, Nestlé announced it had made a scientific breakthrough that has the potential to reduce sugar in its treats by up to 40 per cent, without affecting the taste. The company said it was securing a patent for its innovation, and it would start using the new sugar substitute across its range from 2018.
