New ‘healthy’ Mars bar launched to avoid bottom shelf amid new junk food laws

Mars Triple Treat and stablemates Snickers, Bounty and Galaxy have been revamped with similar ingredients after the government crackdown on foods high in fat, salt and sugar (HFSS).

One Mars a day helps you work, rest, and play… now you can do it with fewer calories.

A new ‘naked’ version of the best-selling candy bar made from date paste, nuts and raisins is launched to avoid the bottom shelf amid new junk food laws.

Mars Triple Treat and its stablemates Snickers, Bounty and Galaxy have also been revamped with similar ingredients after the government cracked down on foods high in fat, salt and sugar (HFSS).

The redesigned lower calorie Mars Triple Treat range hits Tesco shelves next month.

Rather than being enrobed in the familiar chocolate, only the base is coated with it and the date and nut topping is lightly drizzled with chocolate, exposing it.

However, the bars are avoided from being placed out of sight or in less prominent positions as they contain fewer calories and healthier ingredients and thus fall under the HFSS regulations.

It took chocolate giant Mars 18 months to perfect the recipe for each bar, which retains an element of the original.

For example, Triple Treat Mars (40g) still contains its signature caramel at 173 calories compared to 228 calories in the regular 51g version.

And Triple Treat Bounty, which has 169 calories compared to the original’s 278 calories, is dusted with shredded coconut.

Mars said its experts spent “thousands of hours working on every tiny detail of the bars — from the chewy caramel in the malt-infused Mars Triple Treat to the crunchy toasted nuts in the Snickers variant.”

But at 80p a pop, the HFSS compliant bars also cost around 57% more than their traditional counterparts.

Mars said the higher price is due to the “very high quality ingredients” like roasted peanuts and dates.

Kerry Cavanaugh, Marketing Director of parent company Mars Wrigley UK, said: “Triple Treat is exactly what it says on the tin – packed with a stunning trio of fruit, nuts and our iconic chocolate, it’s delicious to boot.

“We’re thrilled that Brits can now enjoy a great tasting – and HFSS compliant – treat from Galaxy, Mars, Snickers and Bounty. Tasty reinvented!”

While Triple Treat bars sit at eye level, mid-shelf and down the aisle, iconic bars and other goodies like Maltesers, M&M’s and Twix are relegated to prominent positions like checkout counters and store entrances, along with other HFSS groceries.

The measures aim to help fight obesity by removing tempting sugary treats from chocolate and sweets to cakes and biscuits from easily accessible areas into supermarket backwaters from October, when the new rules come into force.