Ferrero has been selling chocolates in the UK for over 50 years now, and we understand the responsibilities that go along with this. That’s why we use only the best quality ingredients, regularly engage consumers with education and outreach programmes, and carefully control the calorie content of our products.

It’s also why we’re a founding member of the new Be treatwise initiative. The goal? To remind people that chocolate should be a treat, best eaten in small portions.

Chocolate as a treat

Chocolate has always had a special place in the hearts of British consumers as it plays a key role in celebrations, shared moments and showing each other that we care through gifts.

The UK now has the highest level of obesity in Western Europe. The country is facing a series of public health challenges as people exercise less, work longer, have low awareness and education around balanced diets and overall lead more sedentary lives. As one of the country’s biggest chocolate makers, Ferrero understands that the entire industry must and can help with the issue; manufacturers like us but also retailers, the out-of-home sector and others.

To help tackle the problem, Public Health England (PHE) has set ambitious sugar reduction goals for the main food categories, including chocolate. The chocolate industry as a whole, including Ferrero UK, adopted a voluntary 250 kcal limit on single serve portions a few years ago, which is in line with what PHE is now proposing. Ferrero in fact goes much further than this and have always been committed to small portions: 95% of our products come in portions less than 150 kcals.

Be treatwise

However, even though the overall amount of chocolate we eat in the UK is in decline, we understand that the reality for parents isn’t always as simple. Knowing that chocolate should be kept as an occasional treat and putting that knowledge into action on a regular basis can be a challenge.

That’s why Ferrero UK, along with other industry partners, has launched Be treatwise, a new labelling and awareness campaign.

As part of this campaign, we’ll be looking to crowdsource ideas from parents, grandparents and health experts to find practical ways to help with our customers’ daily choices and establish mindful “treating” habits for life. The aim is to trial at least one of these new measures in the UK, with an independent panel of experts set up to review its effectiveness.

You’ll also see the Be treatwise logo start appearing on some of our product packaging.

There’s no silver bullet in the fight against childhood obesity, but with initiatives like these we’re continuing to take a step in the right direction. The truth is that chocolate can’t easily be reformulated to reduce the amount of sugar in the recipe — it would lose taste and texture. But we can all enjoy it if we consume it in smaller treat-sized portions, as part of a balanced and varied diet.

So look out for the Be treatwise label on the pack — and let’s keep treats as treats.