Nestlé has used technology that alters the structure of sugar to produce a chocolate bar with 30% less sugar but the same level of taste, the firm claims.
The company said it was “inspired by candy floss” to create “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,” said Nestlé.
The firm said this technology had been used for the first time to create Milkybar Wowsomes, which has “30% less sugar than similar chocolate products and contains no artificial sweeteners, preservatives, colours or flavourings”.
The announcement comes ahead of the introduction of a UK tax on sugar in soft drinks from 6 April, which will cost manufacturers up to 24p per litre.
Meanwhile, Public Health England has challenged food makers to cut calories in products such as pizzas and ready meals by a fifth by 2024.
Nestlé says it has removed 60bn calories and 2.6bn teaspoons of sugar from its product range in the past three years. It has pledged to cut sugar from its confectionery portfolio by 10%. In 2017 the proportion of milk in a Milkybar increased from 26% to 37.5%, with a reduction in sugar.
Stefano Agostini, CEO of Nestlé UK & 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 are demonstrating how we can, and will, contribute to a healthier future and that we take our public health responsibilities very seriously.”
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