Nestlé has made significant changes to the recipes of its popular Toffee Crisp and Blue Riband bars, resulting in them no longer being officially classified as "chocolate" in the UK. Due to the escalating cost of ingredients, particularly cocoa, the Swiss conglomerate now describes these treats as being “encased in a smooth milk chocolate flavour coating” rather than “covered in milk chocolate.” This reformulation was necessitated by the increased use of cheaper vegetable fats, causing the products to fall below the UK regulatory standard, which mandates a minimum of 20% cocoa solids and 20% milk solids for a product to be labelled as milk chocolate. Nestlé asserts that these changes, though driven by higher input costs, were “carefully developed and sensory tested” to maintain taste and quality, with no current plans to alter other chocolate products.

The rising cost of cocoa is a primary factor behind these reformulations. Cocoa prices have soared over the past three years due to poor harvests in key growing regions like Ghana and Ivory Coast. These regions have been severely affected by extreme temperatures and unusual rainfall patterns, exacerbated by the climate crisis and the El Niño phenomenon. Extreme rainfall in 2023 led to outbreaks of black pod disease, causing cocoa plants to rot, followed by droughts in early 2024. This combination of adverse weather events has pushed cocoa futures prices to record highs, more than doubling in 2024.

This trend extends beyond Nestlé, impacting other confectionery manufacturers. McVitie’s, for instance, has also reduced the cocoa content in its Club and Penguin bars, leading them to be described as “chocolate flavour” rather than chocolate. Parent company Pladis confirmed the use of more palm oil and shea oil in their coatings. This shift has even prompted a change in Club's long-running advertising slogan, from 'If you like a lot of chocolate on your biscuit, join our Club' to 'If you like a lot of biscuit in your break, join our Club'. Other affected products include McVitie's White Digestives and BN Mini Rolls, which are now marketed with