Tooth Friendly Chocolate

ANCHOR:
An apple a day keeps the dentist away, but now chocolate? Two European companies have created the first ever dentist-friendly chocolate. Their target audience is none other than sweet-toothed youngsters.

STORY:
It looks like chocolate, it tastes like chocolate and it is chocolate but it doesn't rot your teeth.

Barry Callebaut is one of two companies which has just launched dentist-friendly chocolate in, of course, Brussels.

[Marijke De Brouwer, Innovation Manager]:
"The main thing is that the isomaltulose also belongs to the same group as sucrose or saharosa, so it's also sugar. Just the only difference is the isomaltulose, the bacteria in your mouth, they won't attack that sugar which they will attack if it's sucrose or saharosa, so that's the main difference, but it is also a sugar."

So a different type of sugar is the secret. But does it taste any different?

[Marijke De Brouwer, Innovation Manager]:
"82 Percent of the kids - they really liked it. And I think the only proof you get that they really, really like it is when they ask for a second piece. And that happened."

The Belgian chocolate company Smet is also producing a range of tooth-friendly chocolate aimed at children.

Both ranges have been approved by the oral health organization Tooth Friendly International. And they carry a "Happy Tooth" logo on their packaging.

The new ranges are good news for youngsters in particular. But while they may be ok for teeth they're not so good for the waistline - they still have the same calories as most conventional chocolate products.

Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• ntd
• Tooth
• Friendly
• Chocolate
• sweets
• dentist