Maltesers

Maltesers

A cross section of a Malteser

Maltesers are a confectionery product manufactured by Mars, Incorporated. Maltesers consist of a roughly spherical malt honeycomb centre, surrounded by milk chocolate. 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.

History

Maltesers were created by Forrest Mars, Sr. in 1936, and first sold in 1937. They were originally described as "energy balls" and aimed at slimming women.^[1]

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.^{[citation needed]}

In 2011, the product gained Fairtrade accreditation in the UK and Ireland by sourcing all their cocoa and sugar under Fairtrade Terms.^[2]

Ingredients

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.

In Canada, the ingredients are: Sugar, Modified Milk Ingredients, Malted Milk Powder (Malted Barley, Corn Syrup, Modified Milk Ingredients, Wheat Flour, Modified and Hydrogenated Palm Oil, sugar, Wheat Gluten, Sodium Bicarbonate, Potassium Bicarbonate, Salt) Cocoa Butter, Cocoa Mass, Corn Syrup, Palm and Palm Kernel Oil, Lactose, Malted Barley Extract, Soy Lecithin, Ammonium Salt of Phosphorylated Glyceride, Pectin, Sorbitan Tristearate, Artificial Flavour.

In Australia, the ingredients are: Sugar, Milk Solids, Cocoa Butter, Glucose Syrup (Sources include Wheat), Barley Malt Extract, Cocoa Mass, Vegetable Fat, Emulsifiers (Soy Lecithin, 492), Wheat Gluten, Raising Agents (501, 500), Salt, Natural Flavour (Vanilla Extract), Pectin.

Similar products

White Maltesers

• Whoppers, chocolate-flavour coated malted milk balls produced by The Hershey Company in the United States.
• "Mighty Malts", malted milk balls manufactured by Necco.
• "White Maltesers" Maltesers made with a white chocolate coating.
• "Mylikes" Chinese sweets made by Liang Feng Food Company which started making chocolates in 1982.
• Ovalteenies the round malted milk and chocolate sweets.
• "Whispers"' malted milk chocolate balls manufactured by Cadbury.
• 'MaltEaster bunnies' (a bunny made out of Malteser) are now available and have been since Easter 2010.
• 'Maltesers Teaser'. Balls of chocolate coated honeycomb, in a bar format. Available since 26 March 2013.^[3]

Maltesers are also included in packets of Revels.

References

External links

• Official Maltesers web site

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Maltesers.