Chocolate-flavour bars and smaller packs appear here to stay despite the fall of cocoa costs to a near three-year low and a 20% drop in the sugar price.
It was last year, during near-record-high cocoa prices, that customers began noticing smaller packs and the phrase “chocolate flavour” bar, as the cocoa content dropped to such a level that manufacturers could no longer describe their products as chocolate.
Read more: Real-life Wonka explains chocolate crisis
Toffee Crisp and Blue Riband bars became “chocolate flavour” in December, as they didn’t contain the minimum 20% cocoa solids and 20% milk solids required to be described as milk chocolate in the UK.
That followed McVitie’s Penguin and Club in October, while KitKat White and McVitie’s white digestives underwent the rebrand before 2025.
What now for the ‘chocolate flavour’ bar?
No changes appear to be in the works.
Of the companies that replied to Sky News, none said they were making product or recipe changes.
“There are currently no plans to make further recipe or weight changes to our individual confectionery products,” Toffee Crisp, Blue Riband, Quality Street and KitKat maker Nestle told Sky News.
“In recent years, we have taken every possible step to minimise the impact of high cocoa prices and keep our products affordable.
While recent cocoa prices are encouraging, the market remains volatile. We are keeping a close eye on developments.”
The Penguin, Club and White Digestives maker, Pladis, said it had no changes planned.
Terry’s, Mars, which owns Celebrations, and Mondelez, which owns Cadbury, did not respond to Sky’s queries about the fall in cocoa prices and the changes they’d made.
What had shrunk?
In the past year, eagle-eyed shoppers spotted several products weighed less. Celebrations became 150 grams lighter from 2021 to 2025 while becoming more expensive.
So too…
