Hershey to cut calories in standard and king-sized confection snacks

Global confectionery company Hershey has announced plans to reduce the calories in its standard and king-sized snacks.

In order to provide choice and transparency to its consumers, the company plans to make 50% of its total portfolio of individually wrapped standard and king-sized confectionery products with 200 calories or less by 2022.

All products will also feature easy-to-read front-of-pack calorie labels by the end of next year.

Hershey president and CEO Michele Buck said: “Consumers are at the heart of all that we do and we have been at the forefront of providing the choice and transparency they want.

“We aim to delight our consumers and these steps will provide an even wider range of portion options and clear information to help them select treats that fit their lifestyle.”

Approximately 31% of the company’s standard and king-size confectionery products are already 200 calories or less, and 70% of products feature the ‘Facts Up Front’ calorie label.

Under the new commitments, these products will carry the calorie label by the end of next year.

The confectioner expects to achieve its 200 calorie commitment through a combination of reformulation, new products, and a variety of product sizes.

This year, the company plans to provide detailed SmartLabel product and ingredient information online for its products.

SmartLabel QR codes will be available on all packages next year, which will link to detailed product and ingredient information.

The company also recently launched the interactive Sourcemap tool that will allow consumers to trace the origins of key ingredients for its milk chocolate with almonds and Reese’s peanut butter cups.