Cadbury will release a chocolate bar containing 75% less sugar and fat than regular chocolate bars, a chief executive of the confectionary giant has confirmed.
The new bars will use plant-based fibers to reduce sugar and fat, but it will take some time for consumers to get used to the taste.
It will be a bit like diet sodas and grow very slowly, but we have to keep it in the market, Dirk van de Put, CEO of Cadbury’s parent company Mondelez told the Telegraph.
To know more: What is the NHS soup and smoothie diet?
It will take a while for the consumer to really notice, because it’s still not quite the same taste, even if it’s getting close.
It’s not the first time Cadbury has released healthier versions of its chocolate. In 2019 it released the chocolate with 30% less sugar and earlier this year it released its Delights range, which saw several bars filled with nougat for 91 calories each.
Currently, a single 45g Dairy Milk chocolate bar contains 25.2g of sugar and 13.5g of fat.
With Cadbury’s proposed changes, this could reduce the sugar and fat content of a single Dairy Milk bar to 6.3g of sugar and 3.4g of fat per bar, but that’s still over a fifth of the amount of sugar free that the NHS recommends adults limit themselves to each day.
What are free sugars?
Free sugars are all added sugars, such as the sugar in candy bars, sweets, sodas, and sugar added to tea and coffee along with the sugars found in honey, fruit juices, and syrups such as maple and ‘agave.
The NHS says these are the sugars most adults overeat and can cause weight gain and tooth decay.
To know more: Is it safe to eat food past its expiration date?
While the sugars in honey, syrups, unsweetened fruit juices, and smoothies may be natural sugars, they still count as free sugars.
The sugar found in milk, fruit and vegetables does not count as free sugars and these do not need to be restricted.
How Much Sugar Should You Have Per Day?
The NHS recommends that adults have no more than 30g of free sugar per day, which is roughly equivalent to seven sugar cubes or seven and a half teaspoons of sugar.
This number decreases for children, as children aged seven to 10 should be no more than 24g and children aged four to six should be no more than 19g. Children under four should avoid most foods and beverages with added sugars.
So if you were to have a Cadbury Dairy Milk 45g bar with its current sugar content of 25.2g, along with a teaspoon of sugar in your cup of tea, this should be your total sugar intake for the day .
How to cut down on sugar
One of the easiest ways to cut back on sugar is to limit the amount of sodas and fruit juices you consume.
The NHS says a sugar-filled can of soft drink can contain up to nine sugar cubes, which is more than the recommended daily limit.
Instead, she says to opt for water, low-fat milk, or add no-sugar-added pumpkin to sparkling water. She also recommends replacing a fully sweetened soda with diet or sugar-free versions.
To know more: A low-carb diet can increase your risk of mortality by up to 38% each year
If you want to reduce the free sugars you eat in food, the NHS recommends swapping jam, marmalade, honey or chocolate spread on your toast for low-fat spreads or bananas instead.
Also choose unsweetened whole-grain breakfast cereals that aren’t frosted or covered in chocolate or honey. She also says adding fruit to your unsweetened cereal like bananas or berries can contribute to your five servings of fruits and vegetables a day.
Other trades you can make for popular snacks include:
-
Chocolate: Swap a bar for low-calorie instant hot chocolate.
-
Cookies: Swap for unsalted rice cakes, oatcakes, or oatmeal cookies.
-
Cakes: Swap for a fruit scone or currant bun.
It’s also worth paying attention to nutrition labels when buying food, as added sugars can be hidden under names like glucose, sucrose, maltose, molasses, and hydrolysed starch.
As a general rule, 5g of sugar per 100g is considered low sugar, while 22.5g or more per 100g is considered high.
#Cadbury #Release #Chocolate #Bar #Percent #Sugar #Sugar #Eat #Day
