Nestlé dropped Milkybar Wowsomes, its 'world first' lower-sugar bar, after under two years

Nestlé launched Milkybar Wowsomes in the UK and Ireland in March 2018 as a 'world first', a chocolate bar built on a sugar-reduction technology its researchers first developed in 2016. The patented hollow sugar is more porous and dissolves faster in the mouth, so shoppers taste the same sweetness while consuming 30% less sugar. The bar also contained crispy oat cereal, fibre and milk, and was pitched at parents wanting better treats.

In February 2020 Food Dive, citing just-food, reported that Nestlé had stopped making the bar in late 2019. Nestlé gave no reason, though the chocolate bar reportedly saw disappointing sales and struggled to sustain distribution. It told just-food it was working on other new products, including a 'More' range with 30% less sugar launched in summer 2019.

Food Dive said the case illustrates a manufacturers' dilemma: people say they want less sugar but often don't choose lower-sugar alternatives, and changes to mouthfeel and flavour can turn them off. It added that Tesco reviews from July 2018 averaged 4.4 stars out of 5 but were collected as part of a promotion, so may not have been representative.

Nestlé gave no reason; just-food reported disappointing sales and trouble keeping distribution.

Reformulated indulgence products can change texture, flavour and sweetness enough to put consumers off, according to Food Dive.

A nutritional policy professor told The Grocer that large candy makers fear low-sugar launches could undercut established brands and do not give them the marketing budget they need.

Mondelez's Cadbury Dairy Milk 30% Less Sugar, backed by a mass-media campaign, drew an 'overwhelmingly positive' response, showing the category was not hopeless.

Consumers who say they want less sugar don't always buy the reformulated bar, and a launch needs the marketing budget and shelf space that big brands may not want to give a rival to their own.

Nestlé said it was working on new products, and Food Dive expected it to find other uses for the hollow-sugar technology across its portfolio. The article reports no financial loss or sales figures for the bar.