Image only for representation

Cadbury has announced that it will be shrinking the size of some of its most popular chocolate bars in a bid to help tackle obesity.

The confectionery company, which is owned by Mondelēz International, said that Double Decker and Wispa Gold bars sold in multipacks will be reduced in size so they contain less than 200 calories. However, the smaller bars will still cost the same.

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Boost and Bournville Classic bars sold in multipacks will also be affected by the change, which Cadbury predicts will eliminate 10bn calories from the UK market.

In a statement, the company said it hopes the decision will offer customers more portion control options and forms part of its commitment to bring all Cadbury chocolate bars sold in multipacks under 200 calories by the end of 2021.

“The list price for these products will not be changing at this time. Retail pricing remains at the retailer’s sole discretion,” a spokesperson for Cadbury said.

Picture shown is for illustrative purposes only.

This is not the first time the confectionery group has reduced the size of its products.

Last month, Cadbury announced that it would be reducing the serving size of chocolate bars which are popular among children to under 100 calories by the end of this year. Fudge, Curly Wurly and Chomp bars are among those to have already been made smaller.

Louise Stigant, the UK managing director at Mondelēz International, told The Grocer it was “the right approach in terms of helping parents control calories when wanting to treat their children.

 “We recognise we must play our part in tackling obesity and are committed to doing so without compromising on consumer choice,” she said.

 “A focus on portion control is recognised as one of the most effective ways of helping people balance their calorie intake.”

In 2018, the company also launched Dairy Milk bars that contain 30 per cent less sugar as part of industry efforts to tackle the obesity crisis.

Last week, it was reported that the government is expected to introduce a weight-loss campaign across the UK in an attempt to prepare the country for a possible second wave of coronavirus.

The move, described as a “war against obesity”, comes after studies have shown that Covid-19 disproportionately affects overweight people.

Data from Public Health England shows that almost two-thirds of adults are classified as being overweight or obese when measured by the body mass index (BMI) metric.