Toffee Crisp and Blue Riband can no longer be classed as chocolate after their recipes were tweaked by Nestle.
Confectionary can only lawfully be described as milk chocolate in the UK if it contains at least 20% cocoa solids and 20% milk solids.
But the change in the recipes mean they now include less cocoa mass and a higher proportion of vegetable fats.
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It means the product descriptions have been updated to refer to a “chocolate flavour coating” rather than “milk chocolate”.
“We’ve recently updated the recipes for our Toffee Crisp range and Blue Riband,” a Nestle spokesperson told Money.
“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.
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“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. Retail pricing is at the discretion of individual retailers.
“This update is specific to our Toffee Crisp range and Blue Riband, and there are no plans to make the same change across our other chocolate products.”
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It comes after Penguins and Clubs suffered the same fate back in October after containing more palm and shea oil than cocoa.
McVitie’s owner, Pladis, insisted the new coatings on those two treats deliver “the same great taste as the originals”.
Why have cocoa prices soared?
Cocoa prices have soared for several years now after poor harvests in West Africa, which accounts for approximately 70% of global cocoa production.
Heavy rains in late 2023 triggered black pod disease and crop rot, while subsequent El Nino-induced droughts in 2024 increased the prevalence of cocoa swollen shoot virus disease.
Global cocoa production fell 12.9% year-on-year. Production in Ivory Coast, the world’s biggest producer, dropped 25.3%, while Ghana’s output declined 31.3%.
