Maltesers facts for kids
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Type | Confectionery |
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Owner | Mars, Incorporated |
Country | United Kingdom |
Introduced | 1937 |
Markets | Europe, Australia, New Zealand, Canada and Asia |
Tagline | The lighter way to enjoy chocolate. |
Maltesers are a popular chocolate treat made by a company called Mars, Incorporated. They were first sold in the United Kingdom in 1937. At first, they were made for women, but now people all over the world enjoy them! You can find Maltesers in places like Europe, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, the United States, and the Middle East. Their famous slogan is "The lighter way to enjoy chocolate".
Each Malteser is a small, round candy with a crunchy center made of malted milk. This center is covered in smooth milk chocolate. Maltesers come in many different packages. You can buy them in small plastic bags, bigger cardboard boxes and tubes, or even large plastic buckets. They are also part of other chocolate mixes like "Celebrations" and "Revels".
A survey in the UK found that Maltesers were the most popular candy between July and October 2020.
The Story of Maltesers
Maltesers were invented by an American named Forrest Mars Sr. in the United Kingdom in 1936. They were first sold to the public in 1937. When they first came out, they were called "energy balls." They were advertised to women who wanted to lose weight.
The current slogan for Maltesers is "The lighter way to enjoy chocolate." In the past, they had other slogans like "The chocolates with the less fattening centre." In the 1930s, ads even claimed that the malted milk center was much less fattening than other chocolate centers. This made people think they were good for weight loss!
In Australia, a company called MacRobertson's helped make Maltesers starting in 1954. Later, in 1963, another company called Cadbury took over the production there.
In 2011, Maltesers in the UK and Ireland started using only cocoa and sugar that were Fairtrade certified. This means the farmers who grew the ingredients were paid fairly. In 2016, Maltesers started showing disabled actors in their TV commercials in the UK. These ads were inspired by real stories from disabled people and were very popular.
Maltesers officially became available in the United States for the first time in January 2017. The factory in Newmarket, Ontario, Canada, makes Maltesers for North America. Most of the Maltesers made there are sent to the United States.
What Maltesers Are Made Of
The ingredients in Maltesers can be a little different depending on where you buy them.
In Europe, Maltesers usually contain sugar, skimmed milk powder, cocoa butter, and barley malt extract. They also have cocoa mass, palm fat, and milk fat. Other ingredients include wheat flour, and things that help them rise, like baking soda.
In Canada, the ingredients are similar. They include sugar, modified milk ingredients, and malted milk powder. They also have cocoa butter, cocoa mass, and corn syrup. Other ingredients are palm oil, lactose, and soy lecithin.
In Australia and New Zealand, Maltesers are made with sugar, milk solids, cocoa butter, and glucose syrup (which comes from wheat). They also have barley malt extract, cocoa mass, and vegetable fat.
Different Kinds of Maltesers
Over the years, Maltesers have come out with many fun and different flavors and shapes:
- White Maltesers: These are Maltesers covered in white chocolate.
- Dark Maltesers: These have a dark chocolate coating.
- Mint Maltesers: These have a minty center with milk chocolate.
- MaltEaster Bunnies: These are bunny-shaped chocolates made from Maltesers. They are sold around Easter time each year.
- Maltesers Teaser: This is a chocolate bar that has tiny Malteser balls inside.
- Maltesers Teasers Chocolate Spread: A spread you can put on toast or other foods.
- Maltesers Merryteaser Reindeer: These are reindeer-shaped chocolates sold around Christmas. They come in regular and mint flavors.
- Maltesers Malty Hot Chocolate: A hot chocolate mix with the Malteser flavor.
- Maltesers Buttons: These are button-shaped chocolates with tiny malt balls inside. They were launched in 2018.
- Maltesers Truffles: Rich, chocolatey truffles with a Malteser twist.
- Honeycomb Maltesers: Maltesers with an extra honeycomb flavor.
- Raspberry Maltesers: Maltesers with a fruity raspberry flavor.
- Maltesers Popcorn: Popcorn flavored like Maltesers.
See also
In Spanish: Maltesers para niños
- Whoppers
- Ovalteenies