Milky Way (chocolate bar) facts for kids
 
The U.S. version (top) and global version (bottom) of Milky Way (picture not to scale)
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| Product type | Confectionery |
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| Owner | Mars Inc. |
| Introduced | 1924 (U.S.) 1935 (UK) |
The Milky Way is a popular chocolate bar made by a company called Mars Inc.. There are actually two main kinds of Milky Way bars: one sold in the U.S. and another sold in most other countries around the world. They taste quite different!
The U.S. Milky Way Bar
The U.S. Milky Way bar has a soft, chewy nougat center, topped with gooey caramel, all covered in yummy milk chocolate.
How the U.S. Milky Way Started
This chocolate bar was first made in 1923 by Frank C. Mars. It was originally produced in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The name "Milky Way" actually came from a popular malted milk drink, like a milkshake, that was around at the time. It was not named after the galaxy in space!
The Milky Way bar became available across the U.S. in 1924. It quickly became very popular, selling $800,000 worth in its first year. The chocolate for its coating was supplied by Hershey's.
Different Kinds of U.S. Milky Way
By 1926, you could find two types of Milky Way bars. One had chocolate nougat with milk chocolate, and the other had vanilla nougat with dark chocolate. Both cost 5 cents.
In 1932, the bar was sold as two separate pieces. A few years later, in 1936, the chocolate and vanilla versions were completely separated. The vanilla version with dark chocolate was called "Forever Yours" until 1979. It later returned as "Milky Way Dark" in 1989, and then was renamed "Milky Way Midnight."
Milky Way Slogans
Over the years, Milky Way has had many catchy slogans. In 1935, Mars used "The sweet you can eat between meals." Later, they used "At work, rest and play, you get three great tastes in a Milky Way." By 2006, the slogan in the U.S. was "Comfort in every bar." More recently, it has been "Life's better the Milky Way."
New Flavors and Varieties
In 2010, the Milky Way Simply Caramel bar was released. This version had only caramel covered in milk chocolate, without the nougat. A smaller "fun size" version came out in 2011. A salted caramel version was also introduced later. Milky Way Simply Caramel was stopped in the summer of 2023.
For Halloween in 2012, special Milky Way Caramel Apple Minis were sold for a limited time. In 2018, Milky Way Fudge was introduced. This bar uses chocolate fudge nougat instead of the usual malt nougat.
Calories in U.S. Milky Way Bars
A regular American Milky Way bar has about 240 calories. The Milky Way Midnight bar has about 220 calories. The Milky Way Simply Caramel bar has around 250 calories.
In 2024, Mars and another company called Jel Sert teamed up. They started selling Milky Way-flavored pudding and pie mix.
Marketing the U.S. Milky Way
In 2012, a new advertising campaign started in the U.S. It was called "Sorry, I was eating a Milky Way." These ads showed funny things happening when someone was distracted because they were slowly enjoying a Milky Way bar. The idea was that eating a Milky Way is a slow and enjoyable process.
The Global Milky Way Bar
The Milky Way bar sold outside the United States is different. It does not have a caramel topping. Instead, it has a nougat center that is much lighter and less dense than the nougat in the U.S. Milky Way or the British Mars bar.
Because this nougat is so light, the global Milky Way bar can actually float in milk! This fun fact was even shown in advertisements in many European countries.
Other Milky Way Products Globally
In the UK, Mars once sold a bar called "Flyte." It was very similar to the older chocolate-flavored Milky Way and came in twin packs. It was stopped in 2015.
You can also find Milky Way Crispy Rolls in Europe. These are chocolate-covered wafer rolls with creamy milk fillings.
Another popular product in the UK is 'Milky Way Magic Stars'. These are small, star-shaped pieces of aerated chocolate. Each star used to have a different smiley face engraved on it, representing characters like Pop Star or Happy Star. While the packaging sometimes changes, the faces usually remain on the chocolates themselves.
The British version of the Milky Way bar has about 96 calories.
Marketing the Global Milky Way
For a long time, a famous advertising slogan in the United Kingdom and Australia was, "The sweet you can eat between meals without ruining your appetite." This slogan suggested that Milky Way was a light snack that wouldn't spoil your next meal.
A well-known advertisement from 1989 showed two cars racing. One car ate everything in sight and got fat, while the other ate a Milky Way. The ad ended with the car that ate the Milky Way being light enough to jump a gap, while the fat car could not. This ad was updated in 2009, removing the part about not spoiling your appetite.
Milky Way Spread
Just like Nutella, there is also a Milky Way spread. It's not as easy to find, but it has been sold in Australia. This spread came in a jar with brown and white stripes. You can also sometimes find a version imported from Germany.
See also
In Spanish: Milky Way para niños
