Cadbury has announced it will start selling a lower sugar version of its Dairy Milk bar from 2019 in response to growing calls for sugar reduction in confectionary products.

The company said that a new version of the chocolate bar with 30% less sugar would be available in the UK from 2019 sold alongside the standard bar.

The decision showed the commitment of Mondelēz International (the company that owns Cadbury) to help towards tackling obesity, including childhood obesity, in the UK, it said.

If the product is successful with consumers, Mondelēz International said it might also apply the same reformulation approach to other Cadbury products.

Other lower sugar versions are being planned for the UK market over the next two years and these include:

  • Cadbury Boost+ Protein, which will contain 12 g of protein per bar and 32% less sugar than the standard Boost bar

  • 30% less sugar variants of Maynards Bassetts hero products, Wine Gums and Jelly Babies.

Glenn Caton, President, Northern Europe, Mondelēz International said: 'We are working hard to ... help people make informed choices by providing clear nutritional information and labelling, as well as providing more choice by expanding our portion control offerings and improving the nutritional profile of our brands. We believe this strategy is working, with people for example eating less chocolate today than five years ago.'

In August 2016, the Government published Childhood obesity: A plan for action,1 and as part of that strategy, Public Health England (PHE) was asked to oversee a sugar reduction programme which challenged all sectors of the food industry to reduce by 20% the level of sugar in the categories that contribute most to the intakes of children up to 18 years by 2020. Industry was also challenged to achieve a 5% reduction in the first year of the programme.

A report2 from PHE published in May 2018 looking at progress on this issue said there had been reductions in sugar levels in five out of the eight food categories measured. However, the report said it had not yet seen any reductions in biscuits or chocolate confectionery.