Ireland has been chosen as a testing ground for a new Nestlé Milkybar range that has 30 per cent less sugar than its traditional offerings.
Inspired by candyfloss, Nestlé says it has found a way of changing the structure of sugar, creating aerated, porous sugar particles that dissolve more quickly in the mouth. The end result, the company says, is that people get the same perceived level of sweetness despite consuming less sugar.
It took just over a year for Nestlé teams in Switzerland, the UK and the Czech Republic to take the technological breakthrough and turn it into a new confectionery product.
The Milkybar “Wowsomes” range is the first commercial product to use the new technology and Ireland and Britain have been selected as the initial markets. It will appear on sweet shelves from next week.
"We have an unrivalled research and development network and the experts at our product technology centre in York [in the UK] have been instrumental in this breakthrough," said Stefano Agostini, chief executive of Nestlé UK and Ireland.
“A new product like Milkybar Wowsomes introduces greater choice and allows parents to treat their children with chocolate that tastes great but has less sugar.”