Toffee Crisp and Blue Riband no longer meet the requirements of UK law to be described as ‘chocolate’ bars – and they come hot on the heels of Penguin and Club bars doing the same thing
Two classic Nestle bars have been hit by the cost-of-living crisis – and, as a result, can no longer be called “chocolate”.
The iconic Toffee Crisp and Blue Riband biscuits contain less cocoa than required under UK laws to be described as chocolate bars. In Great Britain, an official chocolate bar must have at least 20% cocoa solids and 20% milk solids.
These two pieces of confectionary no longer meet these requirements as Nestle try to combat the soaring cost of cocoa and they can no longer be called “chocolate bars” on their packaging, in adverts or by retailers. The cocoa has been replaced with vegetable fats.
The sweet-treats are now described as “chocolate flavoured”.
These aren’t the first bars to have succumbed to a change in name and description after KitKat White bars had to change their packaging following a reduction in cocoa in their recipe.
A spokesperson for Nestle said: “We’ve recently updated the recipes for our Toffee Crisp range and Blue Riband. These changes have been carefully developed and sensory tested with taste and quality being our top priority at all times.
“As always, we keep our ingredients up to date and clearly labelled on pack, so confectionery fans can continue to enjoy our products with confidence.
“Like every manufacturer, we’ve seen significant increases in the cost of cocoa over the past years, making it much more expensive to manufacture our products. We continue to be more efficient and absorb increasing costs where possible.
“To continue to offer shoppers great value and enjoyment, it is sometimes necessary to adjust the recipes of some of our products.”
Despite the change in ingredients, customers are unlikely to get a cheaper bar.
McVitie’s has also recently confirmed it’s changed the recipes of some of its iconic bars – including Penguins and Clubs.
A spokesperson for Pladis, the brand’s owner, said: “We made some changes to McVitie’s Penguin earlier this year, where we are using a chocolate flavour coating rather than a chocolate coating.”
The company’s cocoa fat recipes have been traded out for ones that contain a “blend of fats”.
McVitie’s White Digestives is also not allowed to be described as a chocolate biscuits, as they contain less than 20% cocoa.
Cocoa prices soared by 200 per cent in 2024, which led to confectionary brands making cuts.
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