Mars to package slimmed-down candy portions

Jenni Spinner, Senior Editor -- Packaging Digest, 2/16/2012 12:39:38 PM

Snickers 2toGo packaging Mars Inc. www.mars.com, the company behind Snickers, Twix, Skittles and other popular candy brands, has announced it will stop selling chocolate products more than 250 calories in them by the end of next year. While the move means the King Size Snickers, long a convenience store staple, will be phased out, the company will continue to offer 2toGo, 4toGo and Tear ‘n Share multi-serving packages

"Mars has a broad-based commitment to health and nutrition, and this includes a number of global initiatives," says Marlene M. Machut, Global Chocolate Communications, Corporate Affairs for Mars, citing the company's practice of placing nutrition information on the front of packs, elimination of trans fat and decreasing of saturated fat and calories as evidence of its goals to increase product healthfulness.
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I think it is sad that they feel they have to say: "Mars has a broad-based commitment to health and nutrition.” Come on, we all know what you are and what you sell. You are not in the health food business. You are in business to offer delicious fattening snacks. You produce a product that I enjoy immensely and eat in moderation. I do not like the direction this is headed. More and more great foods are being ruined because of pressure from government and other organizations to make things more healthy.

This comment makes me especially crazy: “….elimination of trans fat and decreasing of saturated fat and calories as evidence of its goals to increase product healthfulness.”

Why on Earth would you think it is a good idea to try to make a candy bar more healthy? You are still going to get something that is unhealthy, only now it isn’t going to taste as good. Another example of this is all of the cereals using whole grains and other ingredients that are supposedly more healthy.

One day out of the blue, my wife and I noticed that our honeycombs cereal suddenly tasted like cardboard. We contacted the company, and sure enough, they had changed some ingredients so they could claim it is more healthy. The cereals are still loaded with sugar, highly processed, and still have the same number of calories (or close to) but now they don’t taste as good. The fact that they are using “whole grains” doesn’t negate these facts. Are you really expecting to get a healthy breakfast when you are eating a sugar cereal just because it is now made with whole grains? When I eat cereal it is because I like it, not because I think it is the same as eating oatmeal or fruit.

Anyway, back to candy bars. I don’t blame the candy companies completely. They are just trying to sell more of their product and sometimes they have to pander to the nonsense to do so. However, I think they should stand up for themselves a little more and expect us to have some common sense.

If you are looking for something that is healthy, I don't think you should be walking down the candy bar isle.

Bob Richards - 2012-23-2 19:29:12 EST

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