Penguin and Club bars can no longer be called chocolate
Summary
Penguin and Club bars, made by Pladis, are no longer considered chocolate because they now use less cocoa to cut costs. Rising cocoa prices from supply shortages in West Africa led to this change, and the bars are now labeled as "chocolate flavour". This switch follows broader trends in the industry where producers use cheaper alternatives.Key Facts
- McVitie's Penguin and Club bars are now labeled as "chocolate flavour" instead of chocolate.
- The change happened because of rising cocoa prices due to poor harvests in West Africa.
- Pladis decided to use a chocolate flavor coating with cocoa mass to save costs.
- The company says its new recipe maintains the taste of the original bars.
- UK regulations require about 20% cocoa solids for milk chocolate, slightly less than the EU's 25%.
- Pladis uses less than 20% cocoa ingredients in their coatings now.
- Cocoa prices have increased significantly, affecting costs and profits for chocolate producers.
- Alternatives like palm oil and shea butter are being used to reduce the reliance on cocoa.
Read the Full Article
This is a fact-based summary from The Actual News. Click below to read the complete story directly from the original source.