The main concerns people have include the price of the bar, if it will taste the same, artificial sweetners, if the launch is a marketing gimmick and portion size.
No artificial sweetners
Mondelēz said it spent more than two years at its Reading and Bournville research and development facilities in the UK to achieve the same taste, which contains no artificial sweeteners, colors or preservatives.
But some consumers are sceptical, Tweeting the following;
In its defence, a company spokesman told ConfectioneryNews: "The new bar is still fundamentally the same three core ingredients of Cadbury Dairy Milk; cocoa, milk and sugar. And it contains no artificial sweetners, colours or preservatives.
"Our team has successfully replaced the functionality of sugar in the chocolate with fibre in a way that not only preserves the structure of chocolate but stays true to the unique texture and taste profile of Cadbury Dairy Milk."
The chocolate bar will sit alongside other standard bars on shelves and marks Mondelēz International’s commitment to tackling obesity, including childhood obesity, in the UK.
If successful with consumers, the company says it will look to apply the approach to other Cadbury Dairy Milk products.
The chocolate is one of a number of lower sugar innovations planned for the UK market over the next two years which includes; Cadbury Boost+ Protein, which will contain 12g of protein per bar and 32% less sugar than the standard Boost bar, ‘30% less sugar’ variants of Maynards Bassetts hero products,Wine Gums and Jelly Babies, and a ‘40% less sugar’ line extension on BelVita. But one consumer noted it could do more for vegetarians and vegans.
“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," said lenn Caton, president, Northern Europe, Mondelēz International.
"But we recognise people want to manage their sugar intake and that’s why we have worked tirelessly to create a Cadbury Dairy Milk bar with 30% less sugar as part of our commitment to a wider sugar reduction programme. Taking sugar out of our products isn’t easy and will take time."