Icon gets Reduced Sugar Option: Cadbury Dairy Milk with 30 Percent Less Sugar to Debut in UK & Ireland

(Food Ingredients First) – A sugar-reduced version of the iconic British chocolate bar Dairy Milk will hit the shelves next year as confectionery giants Cadbury progresses with its initiative to drive down sugar in its products. In a bid to help consumers manage their sugar intake and launched against a backdrop of changing consumer preferences, Cadbury Dairy Milk will be available in a new bar with 30 percent less sugar as from 2019.

According to Mondelēz International, the 30 percent sugar-reduced bar marks the “most significant innovation in the brand’s history” and underscores the company’s commitment to tackling obesity, particularly in children, in the UK.

The new chocolate bar will be positioned alongside the standard bar on shelves and comes as part of a range of other sugar-reduction offerings. It has taken almost two years to come to fruition through the dedicated work on scientists, nutritionists and chocolatiers at Mondelēz International’s Reading and Bournville research and development facilities.

Cadbury Dairy Milk has been a firm favorite, iconic chocolate bar in the UK for decades and the new sugar-reduced version claims to deliver the same “much-loved” taste with 30 percent less sugar, no artificial sweeteners, colors or preservatives and no increase in calories.

By harnessing their leading-edge understanding of flavor technologies and material science, the team has successfully replaced the physical functionality of the sugar in solid chocolate in a way that not only preserves the structure of chocolate but also stays true to the unique texture and taste profile of Cadbury Dairy Milk.

And this technique could be rolled out to other products if the new Cadbury Dairy Milk bar proves to be a success.

This new Cadbury Dairy Milk variant is just one of a number of lower sugar innovations planned for the UK market over the next two years as part of Mondelēz International strategy to increase well-being choices across its portfolio and help people to enjoy treats, such as chocolate, in moderation as part of a balanced lifestyle.

These include; Cadbury Boost+ Protein, which will contain 12g of protein per bar and 32 percent less sugar than the standard Boost bar, “30 percent less sugar” variants of Maynards Bassetts hero products, Wine Gums and Jelly Babies, and a “40 percent less sugar” line extension on BelVita.

“Our brands have been around for hundreds of years. They are a part of British culture and heritage and play a special role in people’s lives as treats to be enjoyed during a moment of indulgence,” says Glenn Caton, President, Northern Europe, Mondelēz International. “We are working hard to remind people of this; to help them make informed choices by providing clear nutritional information and labeling, as well providing more choice by expanding our portion control offerings and improving the nutritional profile of our brands. We believe this strategy is working, with people, for example, eating less chocolate today than five years ago.”

“Our approach to health will always be led by both the consumer and by scientific evidence, which is why we won’t reduce sugar at the expense of increasing calories. But we recognize that people want to manage their sugar intake and that’s why we have worked tirelessly to create a Cadbury Dairy Milk bar with 30 percent less sugar as part of our wider sugar reduction plans.”

“Taking sugar out of our products isn’t easy and will take time. Ultimately they are treats and people expect them to taste great, but we’re working hard to find innovative solutions that provide more choice without compromising on their world-renowned taste and quality.”

As well as reformulating across its most loved brands, Mondelēz International also voluntarily introduced a 250 calorie cap on all single-serve chocolate bars and launched a 98 calorie Cadbury Dairy Milk bar and over 90 percent of its Cadbury Dairy Milk products enjoyed by children are under 100 calories, including Freddo and Buttons. It now plans to launch Cadbury Dairy Milk Perfect Pieces, a 19g individually wrapped portion of chocolate which is under 100 calories and is the perfect size to satisfy those looking for a small chocolate treat.

Mondelēz International is also supporting Be Treatwise, which was recently relaunched as an initiative with other leading confectionery companies to remind people that confectionery is a treat, designed to be enjoyed as part of a balanced diet and active lifestyle. This supports the company’s global approach to empower people with practical tips and tools on how to snack more mindfully and in moderation.

The company will be extending the Be Treatwise logo onto all its Cadbury chocolate products and its entire Maynards Bassetts range in 2019.

Other lower sugar innovations
•    Chocolate: Cadbury Boost+ Protein, which will contain 12g of protein per bar and will launch in August with 32 percent less sugar than the standard Boost bar.
•    Biscuits: A “40 percent less sugar” line extension on BelVita in 2019. Longer-term plans to reformulate popular Cadbury Brunch bars to reduce the sugar by around 20 percent and explore a lower sugar option on Oreo.
•    Gum & Candy: Introduction of “30 percent less sugar” variants of Maynards Bassetts hero products; Wine Gums and Jelly Babies, during the course of 2019.
•    A number of significant sugar-free innovations on Trebor in 2019.