Snickers Bars Changed And You Probably Never Noticed

Remember those massive King size Snickers bars of the not-so-distant past? Well, the gargantuan slabs of chocolate, peanuts, caramel, and nougat were quietly replaced by the resealable and shareable 2 to Go bars without many of us even noticing (via Market Watch). CNN states that the 2 to Go Snickers resealable package includes two smaller snickers bars containing 220 calories each. The move from King size to the 2 to Go package was officially announced in 2012, explaining that the new language and resealable packaging was meant to encourage consumers to share or save the second Snickers bar to eat later. The outlet stated that the confectionery company also said they planned to replace or eliminate all candy bar sizes which contained over 250 calories by the end of 2013. According to NPR, downsizing from the then standard two ounce and 280 calorie Snicker bars to a 250 calorie bar represented an 11 percent shrink.

Reason stated that Mars' decision to only sell lower calorie portions of their products was, in part, inspired by First Lady Michelle Obama's Let's Move! campaign, which was designed to help combat childhood obesity. Obama's program was founded in conjunction with the non-profit Partnership for a Healthier America. The PHA states that they are focused on helping children live healthy lives and grow to be adults free of health conditions caused by obesity. One way the PHA is trying to accomplish this goal is by working with food companies to create healthier products.

How did so many of us not even notice this massive, King sized hole in the candy bar aisle? Well, the elimination of the King size Snickers bar was rendered significantly less impactful by Mars' decision to slowly remove the oversized bars from the market. Apparently, the candy makers had begun phasing out the King sized Snickers as early as 2004 without much fuss (via Esquire).

In a press release put out by Mars in 2017, the company announced this plan in partnership with other candy manufacturers like Nestle, Ferrero, and Lindt. They stated that they had officially begun to implement these health inspired changes in 2007: slowly replacing the high calorie treats with scaled-down servings sizes, introducing clear nutrition labeling on the front of packaging, and removing artificial flavoring and colors from their products. The press release says that the final phase of this initiative will be completed by 2022, when half of all Mars products will officially be packaged in sizes containing 200 calories or less.