(Reuters) – Mars Inc, the maker of Snickers and Twix candy bars, will stop selling chocolate products with more than 250 calories in them by the end of next year, a spokeswoman said on Wednesday.
The company, which also makes MMs and Skittles candies and Juicy Fruit chewing gum, said the goal is part of an ongoing effort to improve the nutritional value of its products and to sell them in a responsible way.
The new calorie limit target means fans of the 540-calorie king-size Snickers bar might want to enjoy the big bar while they can. Come 2014, it’s going to be gone, part of what Mars says is a broader push for responsible snacking.
In 2007, the privately held, McLean, Virginia-based company said it would stop buying advertising time or space if more than a quarter of the audience was likely to be under 12 years old.
Mars has also said it will reduce sodium levels in all its products 25 percent by 2015.
Spokeswoman Marlene Machut said the plan to stop shipping any chocolate product that exceeded 250 calories per portion by the end of 2013 — a target first announced last fall — was part of Mars’ “broad-based commitment to health and nutrition.”
Several media organizations, including National Public Radio, had