A GROUNDBREAKING reduced sugar chocolate bar developed in York will hit the shelves next week.

In 2016, Nestlé announced a new innovation in transforming the structure of sugar to make it dissolve more quickly on the tongue, allowing the use of less sugar with the same sweetness.

On Tuesday next week, Nestlé is launching the first product in the world to be made using the ‘structured sugar’ technology - Milkybar Wowsomes, which have 30 per cent less sugar that similar chocolate products, and contain no artificial sweeteners, colours, flavourings or preservatives.

The product was developed at Nestlé’s global confectionery Product Technology Centre (PTC) in York, which also helped develop the sugar technology.

Jas Scott de Martinville, head of Nestlé’s PTC, said: “The ambition behind Milkybar Wowsomes was enormous and it has been a real challenge for us to get to this stage. To create a confectionery product in just 12 months which has 30 per cent less sugar than similar chocolate products and contains no artificial sweeteners is extraordinary. We have also made sure that our largest individually wrapped product contains 95 calories per bar.

“It is very rewarding to launch a great tasting product knowing all of the hard work that went into this development. We will continue our work and take this technology further so that we can deliver more confectionery products that taste great and are better for our consumers.”

The Wowsomes come in two types, white chocolate and a combined milk and white chocolate.

Milk is the main ingredient of the new bar, which is also gluten free and contains crispy oat cereal pieces.

It is the first time in Milkybar’s 81-year history it has contained both milk and white chocolate in the same bar.

Stefano Agostini, CEO of Nestlé UK & Ireland, said: “We have an unrivalled research and development network and the experts at our Product Technology Centre in York have been instrumental in this breakthrough. Teams across our UK business and around the world have been working incredibly hard to make this launch a reality.

“We announced earlier this month that we have taken out more than 60 billion calories and 2.6 billion teaspoons of sugar from across our food and drink portfolio in the last three years. A new product like Milkybar Wowsomes introduces greater choice and allows parents to treat their children with chocolate that tastes great but has less sugar. We are demonstrating how we can, and will, contribute to a healthier future and that we take our public health responsibilities very seriously.”

Milkybar Wowsomes will be on sale from next week.