Child Obesity Battle Forces Candy Bar Sizes To Decrease In 2017
Its no surprise that the packages that food comes in is getting smaller each year. However, you might be shocked to realize that 2017 will be the year that candy bar sizes will shrink, in an effort to battle child obesity in the U.K.
The great candy bar shrinkage will begin in the United Kingdom as a means of attempting to battle childhood obesity. Candy bars that will be impacted include products manufactured by Nestle, Mars, Mondelez. This means that some of your favorites, such as Kit Kat and Cadbury Eggs will be approximately 20 percent smaller very soon, according to the Telegraph.
Despite the candy bar shrinkage, there are no announcements that the prices will decrease alongside the sizes. With all the work and adjustments needed on the candy bar making machines, customers may not see a price decrease at all, since they will become accustomed to the new sizes and current prices by the time the candy companies recover the cost of mandatory adjustments.
It is unknown if the great candy bar shrinkage will find its way over to the United States.
THOUGHT OF THE DAY: Oure favorable chocolate bars are getting smaller, but we will be paying more. Does it… https://t.co/ITh6kaig15
— Richard Evaristo (@RichardEvaristo) February 5, 2017
Not all candy bars or sugary treats will be impacted by size reductions. According to the Public Health England, the reduction is aimed at lessening the amount of sugar in the product. Therefore progress is going to be measured in the average amount of sugar within the products, approximately 100g. Since reducing the sugar may also alter the taste of the product, many of the manufacturers are opting to lessen the size, thus decreasing the serving size to accommodate the sugar limit.
A spokesman from Nestle spoke to Metro and shared that for their company, reducing the size of the candy bars is really the only option that makes financial sense.
“While resizing is an effective way to reduce sugar, calories and fat from confectionery, it is certainly not the only choice. Recipe reformulation, ingredient substitution and the use of new technologies are all possibilities and with the right investment behind them, could deliver significant reductions.”
Dr. Alison Tedstone, the chief nutritionist at the Public Health England, states that the new mandates are being implemented in response to parents hoping to help their children make better food choices.
“Parents want help to make healthier food choices and for their children to eat less sugar.”
Dr. Tedstone went on to claim that the Public Health England’s support of parents is being done so in a way that offers choices to the candy bar manufacturers, rather than simply forcing a reduction in only one manner.
“We’re supporting all sectors of the food and drink industry to lower how much sugar children get from everyday products, either through reformulation, portion sizes or encouraging parents to buy products with less sugar in them.”
Has any noticed that the Hershey’s “King Size” candy bar is actually smaller then a regular #Hershey Bar? pic.twitter.com/sVrW5T8bq7
— fto235 (@fto235) October 18, 2016
In addition to everyone’s favorite candy bar becoming smaller over the course of 2017, there are plans to implement a soft drink levy in 2018 that will implement tax breaks to any manufacturer that abides by the effort to lessen the amount of sugar in the soft drinks, replacing the sugars with artificial sweeteners instead. The tax breaks are estimated to £1.5 billion over the course of about three years.
What are your thoughts on government-mandated reduction in sugar/size of candy bars and soft drinks? Should the guidance directed toward preventing childhood obesity be placed on the backs of the parents, or has it gotten so out of control that the government has to step in?
[Featured Image by Ispace/Shutterstock]
