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Nestlé slashes sugar confectionery content

Nestlé will reduce the sugar content of its confectionery brands by 10% by 2018 in a move it said would have a significant impact on public health.

The commitment will see a combined 7,500 tonnes of sugar removed from brands including KitKat, Aero and Quality Street.

Nestlé said the reduction would be achieved by reformulating existing products to replace sugar with higher quantities of existing ingredients or other, non-artificial ingredients.

It will also ensure products contain below a certain amount of calories, implying that some products will be re-engineered to reduce pack size.

In November, the company revealed it had undertaken “groundbreaking” research to structure sugar differently meaning that even when lower quantities of sugar are used in chocolate, the sweetness is almost identical to before. Nestlé said the science had the potential to reduce the sugar content in its confectionery by up to 40%.

The work forms part of Nestlé’s ambition to reduce added sugars in products across all categories globally by 5% by 2020.

It comes ahead of planned discussions between confectionery manufacturers and Public Health England which will result in the setting of industry-wide targets for sugar reduction.