Confectionery giant Mars Inc plans to limit the amount of calories in the chocolate it sells worldwide.

The US-based company told just-food today (14 February) that it will bring the products in its chocolate range down to 250 calories or less.

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The move is part of Mars’s ‘Principles in Action’ programme launched last year, which included saturated fat targets, the use of GDA information on nutrition labels and lowering calories.

“We believe that all of our products can be enjoyed as part of a healthy lifestyle and balanced diet – our commitment to making all our chocolate products no more than 250 calories per portion reflects this,” a Mars spokesperson told just-food. “These changes form part of our on-going efforts to encourage responsible consumption, and will come into effect globally by the end of next year.”

It is unclear how Mars plans to cut the amount of calories in its chocolate but the company could look to reformulation or smaller pack sizes.

Mars bars on sale in the UK contain 260 calories, while a Snickers bar has 296. There are 286 calories in a Twix and 278 in a Bounty bar.

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