Nestlé Ireland to cut saturated fat levels in KIT KAT bars

Nestlé Ireland is set to lower the amount of saturated fat in its KIT KAT range by changing the recipe of the chocolate bar to improve its nutritional profile.

The move is part of the food giant’s strategy to slash around 200t of saturated fat from the Irish national diet.

The reformulation, which involves changing the recipe of the wafer filling in the KIT KAT, is the outcome of three years of R&D by Nestlé’s innovation team in York, England.

It is also part of the company’s ongoing commitment to improving the nutritional composition of its products.

Nestlé Ireland country manager Deirdre O’Donoghue said, "This is the next step on the journey where we are improving the nutritional profile of our products.

"KIT KAT is our biggest confectionery brand in Ireland and therefore the obvious choice to identify a sat fat reduction," O’Donoghue added.

"Improving the nutritional profile of KIT KAT does not come at the expense of quality and taste and Irish consumers will continue to enjoy the same KIT KAT as they have for over 75 years."

Over the past few years, Nestlé has been making various improvements to its confectionery portfolio.

The company said that it has applied various salt reduction techniques to its confectionery chocolate biscuit bars in order to reduce salt content.

In addition, Nestlé has reduced the portion size of products such as Aero, Yorkie, Lion Bar and Rolo, and is seeking to expand its 99 calorie biscuit bars portfolio.

Last week, Nestlé and several other companies pledged to take actions such as product/menu reformulation, reviewing portion sizes, and educating consumers to choose healthier options, to support and enable people to consume less saturated fat.

According to the UK Department of Health, reducing saturated fat intake could help lower blood cholesterol, while reducing the risk of developing heart disease.

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Image: The reformulation involves changing the recipe of the wafer filling in KIT KAT bars. Photo courtesy of Nestlé.