The new product, clad in newly designed packaging that says “Milk is now our NO.1 ingredient,” will remain free from artificial flavors, colors, preservatives and sweeteners.
Milkybar currently accounts for 57% of the white chocolate market share in the UK, Nestlé said.
One calorie less per serving
Nestlé said the upgraded Milkybar recipe will take out almost 350 tons of sugar and 130 million calories from UK public consumption, which is part of Nestlé UK and Ireland’s pledge to remove 10% of sugar from across its total confectionery portfolio by 2018.
The pledge, according to a former release from Nestlé UK earlier this year, will have around 7,500 tons of sugar removed across a number of key brands through a range of methods and initiatives, such as using “higher quantities of existing ingredients” and “non artificial ingredients.”
In addition to maintaining the original retail prices and distribution channels, a spokesperson from the company told ConfectioneryNews the full Milkybar range of bars, blocks, buttons and sharing bags will also be one calorie less per 15-gram serving.
Nestlé UK added the launch of the new Milkybar is being supported by a range of media campaigns including TV, outdoor and social media from May 29 until September 2017.
“The brand will also be launching a new website at the end of May: milkybar.co.uk,” the company added.
The announcement of Milkybar’s reformulation came shortly after Nestlé launched its new KitKat Extra Milk and Cocoa, which increased the percentage of milk by 20%, and cocoa by 13% in the recipe, as well as the new Rowntree’s gummy and chewy candy with 30% less sugar, this site previously reported.
Dairy’s role in healthy snacking
While confectionery and snack manufacturers, such as Hershey and Mars, are actively reducing sugar and calorie content across their product ranges, R&D fellows are also exploring new ingredient replacements to enhance the finished products’ flavor and nutrition profiles.
Taste and nutrition development company, Kerry, has previously explained the “critical” role of dairy in healthy snacking amid the emerging clean label trends during the recent Snaxpo event in Savannah, Georgia.
Carrie Schroeder, Kerry’s business development manager, pointed out most American consumers know little about clean label, but dairy is “well positioned” to compete with other ingredients in the clean snack space.
“When we think about whole food’s identity, consumers find it easy to identify foods such as milk, cheese and butter. Dairy is also able to deliver all consumer demands including protein, organic and non-GMO, as well as taste,” she said.
Schroeder added that dairy is not new to the snack category, but it could be a “game changer” when it comes to areas like sustainability.