FDBusiness.com

As many as 90% of British consumers ate chocolate over the past three months, with over one in 10 (13%) eating it once a day or more. But the issues of calories and sugar are off-putting for around a quarter of consumers as some 28% of Brits who eat chocolate say the high sugar content of chocolate makes them limit the amount they eat, whilst 27% say they limit the amount they eat because of the high calorie content, according to Mintel’s Global New Product Database (GNPD).

Despite on-going issues surrounding sugar, just 25% of chocolate eaters say they have tried reduced sugar chocolate, however, 44% have yet to try it, but would be interested in trying it in the future. Of greater interest is chocolate which retains the cocoa bean, indeed, some 60% of chocolate eaters have not tried but would be interested in trying chocolate that retains the nutrients of the cocoa bean (eg. antioxidants). Half (49%) of chocolate eaters haven’t tried but would be interested in trying in the future premium products from their favourite brand.