Mars Bars Getting Smaller And Lighter (Mars Bar)

Member Name: janharper

Product:	Mars Bar
Date:	06/07/09 (65 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Tasty, quality product

Disadvantages: Expensive, sweet, fattening

Mars Bars have been around for many years and first ones were manufactured in 1932 in Slough, UK. Forrest mars, the estranged son of American chocolate maker Frank Mars, introduced this new concept in chocolate bars to UK. Before the advent of the Mars Bar, chocolate only came in solid slabs.

These chocolate bars consist of caramel and nougat dipped in chocolate. In America the same bar was called a Milky Way (a name coined in UK for a much lighter and more whipped up kind of chocolate bar.) Today these chocolate bars still have the same ingredients but in different proportions.

In 2002 a new, lighter, more whipped up Mars Bar was formulated. This was the point at which I became less keen on them. They had been quite a satisfying snack but once they became lighter and more whipped up, I found then less pleasing.

Mars Bars come in mini sized bars called 'Fun Size' (19.7grams), Snack time bars at 36.5 grams and a multi pack size of 4 bars at 54grams each. Regular Mars Bars weigh in at 58 grams per bar and the king-size version is 84 grams.

There are 259 calories in a regular sized Mars Bar and most are still made at the Slough factory.

These chocolate bars are extremely sweet and light now that the recipe has been adjusted and I must admit that I don't enjoy them as much now. It seems to me that they have become smaller and lighter (comparing the standard bar) but they still cost much more.

As far as packaging goes, the black and red Mars Bar wrapper is very distinctive and although there are a number of cheap copies, none of these have the unique flavour of the original bar.

There have also been a number of limited editions brought out in the Mars range, including Mars Dark and Light which I was quite fond of and I really miss.

This is a quality product and Mars keep trying out variations on the same theme. No other chocolate bar tastes quite the same.

Summary: Mas Bars are worth buying if for a treat. None of the copies come close.