Nestlé scientists can slash sugar in chocolate without changing taste

Nestlé said it has found a way of slashing the amount of sugar in some of its chocolate bars by 40%, without compromising the taste.

The Swiss food company, whose products include Kit Kat, Aeros and Yorkies, said it has achieved the reduction by discovering a way “to structure sugar differently”.

The new process is said to make sugar dissolve faster so that even when less is used, the tongue perceives an identical level of sweetness.

It plans to patent the process, discovered by its scientists, which it says will enable it to significantly decrease the total sugar in its confectionery products.

Sugar has been blamed for fuelling a worldwide obesity epidemic and health campaigners have urged confectionery companies to cut unnecessary sugar from their products.

In that context, Nestlé’s self-proclaimed breakthrough is likely to be welcomed, should it live up to its claims, and be potentially lucrative to the company.

It says it will begin to use the faster-dissolving sugar in its confectionery products from 2018.

Nestlé’s chief technology officer, Stefan Catsicas, said: “This truly groundbreaking research is inspired by nature and has the potential to reduce total sugar by up to 40% in our confectionery.

“Our scientists have discovered a completely new way to use a traditional, natural ingredient.”