Penguin Bars Aren’t Technically Chocolate Anymore
“If you like a lot of chocolate on your biscuit, join our Club!” That old slogan certainly hits different in 2025. For decades, Penguin bars were the go-to lunchbox treat. But there’s a new development; word on the street is that they’re no longer officially chocolate. The taste might fool you, but the recipe changed, and so did the rules.
The Big Recipe Switch
Earlier this year, Pladis, the maker of McVitie’s Penguin and Club bars, swapped real chocolate for a “chocolate flavor coating.” It still includes cocoa mass but now leans heavily on palm and shea oils instead of cocoa butter and cocoa solids. The tweak was subtle enough that most people didn’t notice right away, until regulators figured it out and stepped in.
What Makes It ‘Not Chocolate’
In the United Kingdom, a product should have roughly 20 percent cocoa solids to be legally considered milk chocolate. The reformulated Penguin bars fall below that mark, meaning they’re now “chocolate flavor” bars. This is actually a cost move. Cocoa prices have increased drastically after droughts and poor harvests in West Africa, where most of the world’s cocoa comes from.
Why Cocoa Prices Exploded
Image via Wikimedia Commons/Keith Weller, USDA ARS
Cocoa farmers in the Ivory Coast and Ghana have battled unpredictable weather, aging trees, and years of underinvestment. These two countries supply more than half of the world’s cocoa, and everyone feels it when their crops suffer. The price increase’s effects were so high that confectionery makers scrambled for alternatives. The new Penguin bars were among the first brands to pivot in the wake of this.
The Domino Effect on Treats
When key ingredients cost that much, companies get creative. Some raise prices. Others make smaller bars. Pladis chose a third route: adjust the recipe to keep the price steady. It’s part of a wider trend known as “shrinkflation” and “substitution,” where what’s inside the wrapper changes even if the packaging doesn’t. So when you pick up that familiar blue wrapper, you’re still getting the snack you remember, just updated for the times.
The Global Chocolate Crunch
Image via Facebook/Very British Problems
The Penguin bar’s makeover is but a page in a bigger story. Cocoa’s volatility affects everything from candy bars to Easter eggs. It’s not the end of the world, but it’s a sign of how world problems end up in our hands.