Finnish food group Fazer has developed two new chocolate bars, one which is plant-based and vegan-friendly, and another which is made with xylitol and contains no added sugar.

The limited-edition Fazer Oat Choco and Karl Fazer Crispy Mint with no added sugar bars will initially be available from Fazer outlets, but the company has announced that it intends to fully release the products in 2021 or 2022.

The plant-based Fazer Oat Choco bar was created by pairing Finnish oats with responsibly-sourced cocoa, and the product is suitable for people who are lactose-intolerant, as well as vegans who want to avoid dairy products for reasons other than allergies

Meanwhile, the Karl Fazer Crispy Mint milk chocolate with no added sugar bar contains no white sugar and is sweetened with xylitol. Fazer claims that, in future, the company will use oat-based xylitol from Fazer’s new xylitol plant in Lahti, Finland, which is currently under construction.

Fazer Group’s head of research, Jussi Loponen, said: “Our talented chocolate technologists managed to develop delicious solutions to two challenges: a plant-based product and a chocolate with no added sugar.”

Loponen added: “We are investing in expertise and technology related to oats. We have mills in Finland and Sweden. In addition to our beloved classics, we want to introduce new plant-based options in all our categories.

“We have now taken our first step towards oats in our confectionery business, and we can also make use of this new innovation in other products.”

#chocolate #Fazer #Finland