Nestle is cutting sugar in chocolate by 40 percent thanks to a scientific breakthrough.
The Swiss food giant, which makes Kit Kat, Aero and other chocolate treats, said researchers have found a way to change the structure of its sugar to use 40 percent less sugar in its chocolate without compromising the taste, BBC News noted.
“This truly groundbreaking research is inspired by nature and has the potential to reduce total sugar by up to 40% in our confectionery,” said Stefan Catsicas, Nestle Chief Technology Officer, according to Nestle’s website.
“Our scientists have discovered a completely new way to use a traditional, natural ingredient,” Catsicas added.
The new sugar is expected to be in effect by 2018.
Nestle has committed to improving the nutrition of its products by reducing the amount of “sugar, salt and saturated fat” in its products, while adding more “vitamins, minerals and whole grain,” the company said on its website.
According to BBC News, the amount of sugar in chocolate can differ based on the type of chocolate.
Milk chocolate contains about 50 percent sugar. White chocolate contains around 60 percent, and dark chocolate can have as much as 40 percent sugar in it, BBC News noted.
“This is good science,” Professor Julian Cooper, chair of the Scientific Committee at the Institute of Food and Science and Technology, said, according to BBC News. “A lot of people have been looking at sugar trying to reduce the amount.”
The company is still in the process of patenting the product and hasn't commented on any issues relating to the product’s calories, costs, or approvals, according to CNN Money.
Nestle started developing its new “hollow sugar” product in 2015 in Switzerland and the U.K., according to CNN Money.
This new development comes after the U.S. Department of Agriculture created new guidelines, recommending Americans to “consume no more than 10 teaspoons of sugar a day,” CNN Money noted.
Most Americans eat between 30 and 40 teaspoons of sugar a day.
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