Labels on bars of solid chocolate and chocolate bar sweets in the Polish market: A nutritional approach and implications for the consumer

The nutritional characteristics of chocolate products may be associated with very different, and even opposite, health effects. In the present study, we collected information on chocolate products on the Polish market to assess: (i) nutritional characteristics; (ii) ingredient order; (iii) the presence of nutritional claims on the label; (iv) packaging characteristics; and (v) any association between price and cocoa contents. A total of 220 bars of solid chocolate (90 % with at least 5 ingredients) and 147 chocolate bar sweets (90 % with at least 6 ingredients) were evaluated. Mean values for calorie, total lipid, saturated fatty acid, carbohydrate, protein, sugar and salt contents were significantly different between the bars of solid chocolate and chocolate bar sweets, although the values were widely dispersed in both categories. Some aspects of food labelling may result in confusion for the consumer (such as “vegan” claims). A weak (r = 0.459), although significant (p < 0.05), association was found between cocoa content and price (€/kg) in bars of solid chocolate, although no association was found in chocolate bar sweets. Thus, depending on chocolate product selection, nutritional benefits may be rather different: an aspect not evident to most consumers based on current chocolate bar labelling.