So long, king-sized Snickers: Mars to set calorie limit on chocolate

By: Ryan Jaslow
Topics: News ,; Food and Drink

snickers, king-sized snickers, mars, candy bars

(Credit: amazon.com)

(CBS) Fans of king-sized Snickers and Twix bars may want to stock up. According to Reuters, the candy maker Mars Inc. plans to impose a 250-calorie limit on its chocolate products by the end of next year.

Mars spokeswoman Marlene Machut told Reuters the company plans to stop shipping any chocolate product that exceeds 250 calories by the end of 2013 as part of the company's "broad-based commitment to health and nutrition."

Reuters said the news means that the 540-calorie king-size Snickers bar will be on it's way out.

But what about the normal-sized ones you'd find in a convenience store or vending machine? According to Mars, a normal Snickers bar contains 280 calories, along with 14 grams of fat.

NPR reports those bars will also undergo a makeover and will lose about 11 percent in size to meet the 250-calorie limit. Mars told NPR that there's no decision on whether the bars will be shorter or slimmer.

A Twix bar, meanwhile, contains 250 calories, 12 grams of fat, and meets the new criteria.

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For king-size shoppers who like to get the most chocolate out of their purchase, Mars told NPR it would replace the big bars with bags of two to four smaller bars to "enable sharing or saving a portion for later."

"The issue is 'Big' food, not 'Bad' food," Mars says in a 2009 corporate statement when it reduced candy bar sizes in Australia. "The consumer is not demanding change to chocolate. However, these are times when we have to make decisions that are right and are for the long-term sustainability of our consumers and to provide leadership to the industry."

What do you think about the move? Will you miss king-sized bars?

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by debbysuter February 17, 2012 3:43 PM EST: so the new snickers will COST LESS? wanna bet?; Reply to this comment


by magnumdr February 17, 2012 11:24 AM EST: This sounds all about making more money to me. Everyone today seems to be making their products smaller and the cost is more. Don't let these Companies fool you, it's all about the "almighty dollar"!; Reply to this comment


by AnnieDanny February 17, 2012 9:40 AM EST: Oh, wow... make the Snickers bar SMALLER and tell us it's for our own GOOD. I'm not that stooopid.; Reply to this comment


by dman6015 February 17, 2012 9:14 AM EST: Disguising a reduction in the size of a candy bar, while NOT reducing the price, as a "Get Healthy" move is the height of hypocrisy. Who do they think they're fooling?; Reply to this comment


by rwsmith29456 February 17, 2012 9:14 AM EST: I like Snickers bars just the way they are. One can prop you up better than anything I know if you have to delay a meal.; Reply to this comment

by foo8259 February 17, 2012 7:42 AM EST

That's some creative marketing! The healthiest move would be totally discontinue the product line. I have even seen some candy advertised as 'healthy' because it's low-fat :lol:

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by thekywoman February 17, 2012 9:20 AM EST: Discontinue the product line? Nice attempt to impose your lifestyle onto everyone else. I bet you want to ban anything fried or sugared, too? If I want to saturate myself with chocolate, it is MY business and no one elses. If there is a market for this perfectly legal product (chocolate), then by golly they should be allowed to make them in super-duper-giant size if people want to buy them. Communist much?

by FormerUSMCSergeant February 17, 2012 6:47 AM EST

by scoobydoobydank February 16, 2012 5:14 PM EST
fat people are making everyone lose
----
I don't know about making everyone lose, but they certainly make the rest of us pay more in medical costs to the tune of $150B/yr.....

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by thinkaboutit13 February 17, 2012 9:39 AM EST: What a leap! Just because it's candy the consumer is overweight? Stereotypical, bigoted assumption. Let's see your food police badge officer...


by linfinster February 17, 2012 2:13 AM EST: WHAT A SCAM!!!!!!!!!!!!; Reply to this comment


by MitchReno February 16, 2012 9:39 PM EST: An absolute ripoff by the spin doctors. Cutting the calorie count by 30 is nothing. If you want to make a Snickers light - do it. Don't just cut the size and tell us it is more healthy. If that's the case, cut it in half and sell it at a bargain health morsel.; Reply to this comment