Mars, Nestle, Ferrero and Lindt are just a few of the companies that have set new calorie reduction goals, explaining that 50% of their individual bars and wrapped goods will be under 200 calories by 2022.
It was announced in May 2017, that they would also be stating calories and information on the front of the wrappers instead of the back, so customers are fully aware of their intake, within the next 5 years. Currently about 35% of Mars products are under 200 calories.
Nestle announced in March that they will be reducing sugars in their products across all categories, all across the world, by 5% by the year 2020. In Europe, it is looking to remove at least 18,000 MT of sugar.
As a collaborative declaration, Mars, Nestle, Ferraro and Lindt made their announcement together to make a collective stand for healthier chocolate options. Mars was one of the first to introduce their king size bars with a smaller option, introducing resealable bag alternatives and they are hoping that this will help other brands come together too.
Reports show a surprisingly good result when customers are given more choice of lower calorie confectionery options. For example, when M&M’s introduced the crispy version in 2016, sales grew 10 times quicker. The new options gathered more interest, and just happened to be a healthier option.
The FDA nutrition labels will change in accordance, and in time with more being introduced, the adjustments will come into place too. Mars have still begun to change their packing for future reference.