Execs at Cadbury (KFT +0.6%) and Hershey Foods (HSY +0.2%) might be smiling with word that...

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Windsun33 Comments (3924)
 
Uhm... What a bunch of idiots.

I don't think anyone eats a Snickers for their "nutritional value".

If this stock were publicly traded it would be down 25% today.
16 Feb 2012, 11:30 AM Reply Like

Tony Petroski Comments (6373)
 
The candy equivalent of GM's electric car.

The thought police strike again.

You have to marvel at how easy these corporate types can be rolled.
16 Feb 2012, 11:35 AM Reply Like

Tommy_Finger Comments (312)
 
The candy bar business is a mature business and new ideas and new products are hard to come by. On top of that, only a few giants control the bulk of the world's candy bar biz so it's hard to introduce a new product. This could just be a case of toying with one of the four P's, packaging.

Selling bars with less than 250 calories is not really a problem -- just reduce the size of the candy bar to fit your target. Cereal companies do this all the time to hit that 12g or less of sugar per serving size limit.
16 Feb 2012, 11:46 AM Reply Like

Windsun33 Comments (3924)
 
".. Cereal companies do this all the time to hit that 12g or less of sugar per serving size limit..."

I ran into that a while back while looking over various cereal companies for possible buys. Was researching which made the worst offendors and came across this http://bit.ly/AucIZy

Some - especially many of the General Mills - were so high in sugar that the "serving size" was cut down to 3/4 of a cup.

Just a thought, but I suspect that eventually restrictions will be placed on stuff sold to kids, and those companies will get hit the hardest. I suspect that Mars will simply start selling 2 nd 3 bar packs (at higher prices) and then tout the "low calories" :D
16 Feb 2012, 12:45 PM Reply Like

MktMetrics Comments (5)
 
Mars puts something in their candy that makes chocolate addicts want more than the recommended portion. I am a type II diabetic and occasionally fall off the wagon for a snickers w/almonds or chocolate covered peanuts. As a result, it makes my glucose reading shoot sky high and makes me mad at myself for lack of self-control. I have given up my favorite candy...until the next time I fall off the wagon.
16 Feb 2012, 12:58 PM Reply Like

davidbdc Comments (2989)
 
Of course - its the candy bars fault you can't eat the amount your told to eat.

Give me a break. If I want to buy a king sized Snickers bar thats my choice. So now its not just the government telling us how to live our lives. The corporations are going to join in and try to run our lives too!

And what truly stupid about this is that I'm sure they'll keep selling the bags of small bars - just means I open 4 wrappers instead of one.
16 Feb 2012, 02:40 PM Reply Like

Tack Comments (9244)
 
This is no different than ice-cream companies reducing butter fat in the guise of "health." The reality is that butter fat, which makes ice cream rich and smooth, is expensive, so they're just making it "new and improved," i.e., cheaper and lousier, and most Americans are suckers for the propaganda.

Now, it simply spreads to candy bars. You can bet the most expensive ingredients are those which make the products richer and tastes more complex, and they'll be gone.

(Mars is basically crap already, much less whatever they do to it, now. If you want to eat real candy, find some See's and see what real chocolates, nougats and caramels are all about.)
16 Feb 2012, 07:19 PM Reply Like

Audrey Silk Comments (4)
 
Sigh, nothing learned from the tobacco companies caving to the nanny state. When will these companies that are under attack realize that there is no way to appease or satiate these control freaks? The time to put their foot down is at the very start.
17 Feb 2012, 08:49 AM Reply Like

Windsun33 Comments (3924)
 
From what I can see, Mars nor Snickers was never "under attack". I think this falls into the category of just being excessively politically correct.
17 Feb 2012, 10:06 AM Reply Like