Click to edit...
Image courtesy of Nestlé
PRODUCT INNOVATION
The Wow Factor: Nestlé Produces World’s First Chocolate Bar with Restructured Sugar
Food manufacturers have made sugar reduction a global priority. Nestlé’s research in this area has produced Milkybar Wowsomes, the first chocolate bar in the world to use uniquely structured particles of sugar so that it has 30% less sugar than similar products. GlobalData looks at the innovative approach to sugar formulation.
Milkybar Wowsomes is a unique new chocolate bar that has 30% less sugar than similar chocolate products, yet no artificial sweeteners, preservatives, colours, or flavours. The gluten-free bar lists milk as its number-one ingredient and has a creamy-tasting centre and crispy oat cereal pieces; the latter help make the bar a source of fibre. Sugar reduction is achieved via a newly developed process claimed to only use natural ingredients.
Said to be inspired by candy floss (cotton candy), the structure of the sugar used in Milkybar Wowsomes has been changed into porous particles said to dissolve more quickly in the mouth than conventional sugar. According to Nestlé, this delivers the same perceived level of sweetness as a product sweetened with conventional sugar, but with reduced sugar content. Offered in white chocolate flavour and milk and white chocolate flavour, the largest bar – 18g – has 95 calories and includes three individual pieces of candy. An 80g multipack holds eight 10g bars.
Tom Vierhile, innovation insights director for GlobalData, says: "Nestlé's breakthrough technology for Milkybar Wowsomes could change the sugar reduction game in the confectionery industry because the product does not rely on challenging or controversial alternatives to conventional sugar (like stevia, aspartame, or sucralose) to reduce sugar content. By aerating and restructuring sugar particles, sugar reduction is achieved in a more natural way that should appeal to consumers sceptical of many other types of sugar reduction."
He adds: "With the recent implementation of a sugar tax in the UK for soft drinks, sugar has become a hot-button issue in the UK. Consumers there are already more 'sugar aware' than most. A 2017 Q4 consumer survey by GlobalData found that 52% of UK consumers say that 'low in sugar' means 'healthy' to them, a significantly higher percentage than the 44% of consumers globally who express this sentiment. This suggests that Nestlé may find a curious and willing audience in the UK for Milkybar Wowsomes and its breakthrough sugar technology."
Milkybar Wowsomes is a unique new chocolate bar that has 30% less sugar than similar chocolate products, yet no artificial sweeteners, preservatives, colours, or flavours. The gluten-free bar lists milk as its number-one ingredient and has a creamy-tasting centre and crispy oat cereal pieces; the latter help make the bar a source of fibre. Sugar reduction is achieved via a newly developed process claimed to only use natural ingredients.
Said to be inspired by candy floss (cotton candy), the structure of the sugar used in Milkybar Wowsomes has been changed into porous particles said to dissolve more quickly in the mouth than conventional sugar. According to Nestlé, this delivers the same perceived level of sweetness as a product sweetened with conventional sugar, but with reduced sugar content. Offered in white chocolate flavour and milk and white chocolate flavour, the largest bar – 18 grams – has 95 calories and includes three individual pieces of candy. An 80g multipack holds eight 10-gram bars.
Tom Vierhile, innovation insights director for GlobalData, says: "Nestlé's breakthrough technology for Milkybar Wowsomes could change the sugar reduction game in the confectionery industry because the product does not rely on challenging or controversial alternatives to conventional sugar (like stevia, aspartame, or sucralose) to reduce sugar content. By aerating and restructuring sugar particles, sugar reduction is achieved in a more natural way that should appeal to consumers sceptical of many other types of sugar reduction."
He adds: "With the recent implementation of a sugar tax in the UK for soft drinks, sugar has become a hot-button issue in the UK. Consumers there are already more 'sugar aware' than most. A 2017 Q4 consumer survey by GlobalData found that 52% of UK consumers say that 'low in sugar' means 'healthy' to them, a significantly higher percentage than the 44% of consumers globally who express this sentiment. This suggests that Nestlé may find a curious and willing audience in the UK for Milkybar Wowsomes and its breakthrough sugar technology."
Share this article
