Maltesers are a confectionery product manufactured by Mars, Incorporated. Maltesers consist of a roughly spherical malt honeycomb centre, surrounded by Milk chocolate. They are most popular in the UK, Australia, Ireland, Canada, Poland, France, Hong Kong, and Portugal. Maltesers are sold in a variety of packaging, including plastic bags (ranging in size from small 'fun-size' upwards), larger cardboard boxes and tubes, and plastic buckets (ranging in size from medium to very large). They also have medium sized "teasers" in celebrations boxes. Maltesers are also one of the types of sweet included in Mars's Revels assortment. In the UK, the ingredients are: Sugar, Skimmed Milk Powder, Cocoa Butter, Glucose Syrup, Barley Malt Extract, Cocoa Mass, Vegetable Fat, Lactose, Demineralised Whey Powder, Milk Fat, Wheat Flour, Emulsifiers (E442, Soya Lecithin, E492), Hydrogenated Vegetable Fat, Raising Agents (E500, E501, E341), Salt, Gelling Agent (Pectin), Flavouring.
The current name is a portmanteau of the words "malt" (one of the main ingredients) and "teasers".
Maltesers were created by Forrest Mars, Sr. in 1936, and first sold in 1937. They were originally known as "Energy Balls".
The current Maltesers' slogan is "The lighter way to enjoy chocolate" - earlier slogans have included "The chocolates with the less fattening centre", "No ordinary chocolate" and "Nothing pleases like Maltesers". The Australian version also contains the line: "Made in Australia... ...exported to the world." In the 1930s, advertisements claimed that the Maltesers honeycomb centre is seven times less fattening than ordinary chocolate centres; this led marketers to claim it was beneficial for weight loss.
Maltesers are also included in packets of Revels.
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