Maltesers Explained

Maltesers
Type:Confectionery
Currentowner:Mars Inc.
Origin:United Kingdom
Markets:Europe, Australia, New Zealand, Canada and Asia
Tagline:The lighter way to enjoy chocolate.

Maltesers are a British confectionery product manufactured by Mars Inc. First sold in the UK in 1937, they were originally aimed at women. They have since been sold in Europe, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, United States and Middle East. The slogan is "The lighter way to enjoy chocolate".

Maltesers consist of a spheroid malted milk centre surrounded by milk chocolate. Maltesers are sold in a variety of packaging, including plastic bags (ranging in size from small 'fun-size' upwards), larger cardboard boxes and tubes, and plastic buckets (ranging in size from medium to very large). They also have medium-sized "teasers" in Celebrations boxes. Maltesers are also one of the types of chocolate included in Mars's Revels assortment.

In a YouGov poll in 2020, they were the most popular confectionery in the UK.[1]

History

Maltesers were created by the American Forrest Mars Sr. in the United Kingdom in 1936, and first sold in 1937. They were originally described as "energy balls" and aimed at slimming women.[2]

The current Maltesers' slogan is "The lighter way to enjoy chocolate".[3] Earlier slogans have included: "The chocolates with the less fattening centre", "No ordinary chocolate" and "Nothing pleases like Maltesers". In the 1930s, advertisements claimed that the Maltesers malted milk centre is one-seventh as fattening as ordinary chocolate centres; this led marketers to claim it was beneficial for weight loss.[4]

In Australia, Mars signed a production deal with MacRobertson's in 1954, but then switched to Cadbury in 1963.[5]

In 2011, the product gained Fairtrade accreditation in the UK and Ireland by sourcing all their cocoa and sugar under Fairtrade Terms.[6] In 2016, Maltesers’ commercials in the UK began featuring disabled actors (including The Inbetweeners actress Storme Toolis) which have been highly successful for the brand.[7] Celebrating universally awkward situations, the adverts were inspired by real-life stories from disabled people.[7]

In January 2017, Maltesers officially became available in the United States for the first time.[8] [9] The factory in Newmarket, Ontario, Canada produces the Maltesers for the North American market; it is expected the factory exports about 80 percent of its production to the United States.[10]

Ingredients

thumb|right|Tray of MaltesersIn Europe, the ingredients are: sugar, skimmed milk powder, cocoa butter, glucose syrup, barley malt extract, cocoa mass, palm fat, lactose, demineralised whey powder, milk fat, wheat flour, emulsifiers (E442, soya lecithin, E492), palm oil, raising agents (E500, E501, E341), salt, gelling agent (pectin), flavouring.[11]

In Canada, the ingredients are: sugar, modified milk ingredients, malted milk powder (malted barley, corn syrup, modified milk ingredients, wheat flour, modified and hydrogenated palm oil, sugar, wheat gluten, sodium bicarbonate, potassium bicarbonate, salt), cocoa butter, cocoa mass, corn syrup, palm and palm kernel oil, lactose, malted barley extract, soy lecithin, ammonium salt of phosphorylated glyceride, pectin, sorbitan tristearate, artificial flavour.

In Australia and New Zealand, the ingredients are: sugar, milk solids, cocoa butter, glucose syrup (sources include wheat), barley malt extract, cocoa mass, vegetable fat, emulsifiers (soy lecithin, 492), wheat gluten, raising agents (501, 500), salt, natural flavour (vanilla extract), pectin.[12]

Varieties

See also

Notes and References

  1. News: The most famous confectionaries in the UK . August 16, 2019 . YouGov.
  2. Damian Corless, You'll Ruin Your Dinner: Sweet Memories from Irish Childhood, Publisher Hachette UK, 2011,, 9781444726046, 256 pages, https://books.google.com/books?id=i6qW8HKM_38C&dq=%22Energy%20Balls%22%20mars&pg=PT28
  3. News: #Maltesergate: First Toblerones shrink, now packs of Maltesers are lighter . August 16, 2019 . The Telegraph.
  4. https://ashleighadvetsing.wordpress.com/2014/11/20/maltesers-facts/ "TV advertising – Maltesers Facts"
  5. Book: Greg Thain. John Bradley. FMCG: The Power of Fast-Moving Consumer Goods. July 11, 2014. First Edition Design Pub.. 978-1-62287-647-1. 278–.
  6. Web site: Mars and Fairtrade International announce collaboration . Mars.com . September 2011 . February 8, 2013.
  7. News: Maltesers' ads featuring disabled actors prove to be 'most successful' advert for the brand in 10 years . August 16, 2019 . The Drum.
  8. Prior to this they were packaged in small local factories using the 1950s model of handpicking chocolates from the production line. This continued until half eaten chocolates were discovered in a small number of cases. Manufacture and packaging moved to a larger scale with the exception of some small Welsh towns which still retain the 1950s model.Factories"Maltesers Coming To US in 2017" from Brand Eating (October 16, 2017)
  9. News: The U.K.'s #1 Bite-Size Candies - MALTESERS® - Are Coming To America. Yahoo Finance. PR Newswire. March 21, 2017. March 22, 2017.
  10. News: Newmarket MARS factory first in North America to produce Maltesers. YorkRegion. Teresa Latchford . March 20, 2017. March 22, 2017.
  11. Web site: Nutrition - Maltesers. maltesers.co.uk. https://web.archive.org/web/20170712114158/https://www.maltesers.co.uk/nutrition/nutrition.aspx. July 12, 2017. April 17, 2018.
  12. Web site: MARS Making Chocolate Better Maltesers Chocolates 40g. www.marschocolate.com.au. April 17, 2018.
  13. https://www.frugalfeeds.com.au/2015/dark-maltesers/ “NEWS: Dark Maltesers now available in Australia”
  14. Web site: UK: Mars launches Maltesers Teasers block bar . just-food.com . March 27, 2013 . December 15, 2013 . https://web.archive.org/web/20131215120056/http://www.just-food.com/news/mars-launches-maltesers-teasers-block-bar_id122463.aspx . dead .
  15. News: Maltesers Officially Announces Launch Of Buttons Following Months Of Rumours. August 16, 2019 . The Independent.
  16. Web site: Maltesers Just Dropped a Brand New Flavour & It Sounds Like the Stuff of Dreams! | 2DayFM More Music More Variety . www.hit.com.au . 17 January 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20181014165322/https://www.hit.com.au/scoopla/food/maltesers-just-dropped-a-brand-new-flavour-it-sounds-like-the-stuff-of-dreams?station=2day&geoRedirect=true . 14 October 2018 . dead.
  17. Web site: Important: Raspberry Maltesers have hit Aussie shelves. August 15, 2018. Fashion Journal.
  18. Web site: Mars Wrigley launches 'incredible' new Maltesers flavour in Australia. February 8, 2022. news.com.au.

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