After more than a decade of effort and a year of anticipation, Mars Inc. is finally rolling into stores with what it says is a healthy new sweet: a line of chocolate bars and chocolate-covered almonds. . .
[I]t is the glob of granola, rice and flavanol-filled cocoa powder at the heart of the bar made [at one Mars plant] - injected with a burst of liquid-canola plant sterols - that distinguishes CocoaVia from the company's M&M's, Snickers and Dove bars. Flavanols are naturally occurring chemicals in cocoa that have antioxidant qualities; sterols are plant-based chemicals found in a variety of foods.
Flavanols are what set Mars on a scientific search: if it could show that they helped improve blood flow and lower blood pressure, then foods with them could potentially help prevent heart disease.
In developing CocoaVia, Mars decided to add another major additive, plant sterols, which ultimately allowed it to make the claim that CocoaVia is good for hearts and arteries. And that is one reason Mars is placing them in the health food aisles - near nutrition bars rather than candy - of retailers like Wal-Mart and Target.
And the mark-up as health food is much greater.
Likelihood of success as candy: 12 percent. Americans tend to like their indulgence without salutary effects. Produce a healthy cigarette and kids won't smoke it.
