Mars (bar) is a British chocolate treat. It was first made in 1932 in the UK and went on sale as Couverture brand chocolate.
Appearance story
In 1932, Forrest Mars, the son of an American candy manufacturer, Frank Mars, rented a factory in Slough and, working with a team of twelve people, began production of a chocolate bar consisting of nougat and caramel. The bar was topped with milk chocolate and was modeled on Milky Way, which was already popular in the USA. Currently, the basic recipe remains unchanged, but the size of the bar and the proportions of the main components have changed more than once in all years. With slight variations, this classic version is sold all over the world (with the exception of the USA), and everywhere the chocolates are packed in a black wrapper with a red inscription.
Recent changes
In 2002, the appearance of Mars was revised, and its logo was updated to a more modern one. Its price has also increased slightly. The composition of the Mars bar also changed - the nougat became lighter, the chocolate layer on top became thinner, and the total weight of the chocolate bar was slightly reduced.
In Australia, the Mars logo has never changed - and to this day the appearance of the package is the same as before 2002. The original advertising slogan, which is currently used almost all over the world, sounds like “A pleasure you cannot measure.”
Kinds
“Mars” is a bar that appears on sale in various forms. In addition to the classic packaging weighing 58 grams, you can purchase miniature bars weighing 19.7 grams and 36.5 grams. Mars King Size, which weighed 84 grams, was often found on sale before. Currently, it is discontinued and replaced by a Mars Duo, which consists of 2 bars of 42.5 grams each.
Previously, the standard “Mars” weighed 62.5 grams, until it was reduced by the decision of the manufacturer. In Australia, the mass produced classic bar is 53 grams. Such a change was not voiced initially. But when consumers noticed how much the familiar Mars bar had become smaller, the manufacturer commented on the innovation as a means of combating the massive obesity of the population. The company later confirmed that the real reason for the change was due to rising costs.
US Selling Features
"Mars" (bar) is sold in almost all countries of the world unchanged, with the exception of the United States. The American version was discontinued in 2002 and was replaced by the Snickers variety with the addition of nougat, almonds and milk chocolate on top.
Limited Editions
In addition, Mars is a chocolate bar, which was produced in a limited edition with a changed composition in different countries. However, in some regions, these versions are available almost regularly.
So, there is Mars Dark, which is produced in Canada on an ongoing basis and appears in the form of limited series in European countries. Its difference from the classic version is that on top it is covered with dark chocolate, and not milk.
Also, in some countries, various forms of this chocolate are produced, tied to any events. The famous "Mars" in the form of Easter eggs, which is available in Europe every spring.
Release in Australia
Australia is the only country where the "Mars" (bar) is available in many variations to the present. In addition, it was only there that various original chocolate packaging came out. The most famous of them are the following.
Mars Triple Chocolate is an option that, despite its name, includes chocolate nougat and chocolate caramel. It was also available in limited edition in the UK in August 2011, and then re-released in 2015 as the Mars Xtra Choc.
The Mars Cold bar (was available not only in Australia, but also in New Zealand and the UK) - was distinguished by its original wrapper. The name was not written on the packaging in red, but in white, which turned blue when placed in the cold.
In August 2007, Mars Rock was launched, in which chocolate nougat and a thick layer of caramel were added. The bar was coated with milk chocolate with added crispy elements (the main ingredients of which are wheat flour and sugar).
Mars Red is currently available for sale. It has a red wrapper, and the name is written in black. This option is considered less caloric.
Mars 100% Caramel has been available in Australia since January 2011. It is a standard-sized bar, but it does not contain nougat. It was available in the UK in a limited edition in 2012.
Mars (bar) is also available in vanilla (nougat has a vanilla flavor) and honey (nougat has a honey taste in honeycombs).
Other brand products
Since chocolates from this manufacturer have gained popularity all over the world, a number of other products with the same name have appeared. The most famous and common of them are sweets and ice cream. They are available in many countries, including Russia and the CIS.
Ice cream is produced both in the form of bars, and in large packaged portions, and is a mixture of nougat, caramel and ice cream.
Also in Europe, a popular series of drinks "Mars" - chocolate cocktails and energy drinks.
Why are Mars bars being recalled?
In early 2016, there was news that plastic impurities were found in some batches of Mars. In this regard, the manufacturer decided to withdraw part of the products sent to various countries. In total, several batches of chocolates from 55 countries were returned. As it turned out later, Russia did not affect these events.