Goodbye To The King Size: Mars To Downsize Candy Bars In 2013

npr.org ^ | February 15, 2012 | Allison Aubrey

[John W]

Ready to say goodbye to a sliver of your Snickers? And how about a slightly slimmer Mars bar? By the end of 2013, chocolate-maker Mars says all of its chocolate bars will be under — or right at — the 250-calorie mark.

With all the fixation on our civilization's expanding waistlines, it's not that there are bad foods, just big foods. That means you won't be seeing lower-calorie chocolate or caramel — just less of it.

And the company says it wants to be an industry leader, helping its customers enjoy "responsible snacking." It sort of reminds me of beer manufacturers' campaigns for responsible drinking.

[Iron Munro]

Anybody remember 5th Avenue candy bar?

Here's a YouTube video of a 5th Avenue commercial from the 1960's showing how the bar looked back then with those two big luscious almonds on top.

5TH AVENUE CANDY BAR TV COMMERCIAL From 1960s
(clicky - clicky)

[patriot08]

Thanks. Now I have to go out and try to find some. LOL
They’re just SO good!

[VermiciousKnid]

http://www.oldtimecandy.com/5th-avenue-bar.htm

Fun site, too....lots of candy from back in the day!

Regards,

[Oztrich Boy]

In this case it has to with our peculiar imperial measurements. 12oz is 1/3 of a kilogram, which happens to be a common container size throughout the rest of the world. This is just standardization, nothing more.

Metrics don't do thirds. The 12 oz is the original, ever since Libby's of Chicago canned beef in the 1870s. And as 12oz meat was the daily soldier's ration, the rest is history.

Also bread 12, 24 oz loaves

[READINABLUESTATE]

“Bazooka gum “

Wow, I Haven’t had a piece in nearly 45 years. Used to love the stuff. Bazooka Joe comics were lame though.

I remember when Wrigleys peppermint/spearmint gum went from 7 sticks to 5 sticks for a nickel. I was upset. Then they went back to 7 sticks and raised the price to a dime. Those bastards!

[patriot08]

Wow..thanks.

[kearnyirish2]

I wasn’t born yet the last time you had Bazooka gum, but I remember it well (it started at $.02, then went to $.03, then $.05 - and that was when they added grape and I think wild cherry). Too funny; the comics were lame but you could save them for cheap pocketknives and such.

I don’t remember that about Wrigleys (we thought of it as grown-up/”chewing” gum as opposed to “bubble gum”). After loosening a filling a few years back I haven’t had any gum.

The worst was the gum in the Topps baseball cards; it always felt like a million years old. I still see the shredded “Big League Chew” around, too.

[21twelve]

Those old cans remind me of the time me and a buddy as got some candy bars at the little country store near our cabin. The old guy fished around for awhile and said “Here, save your money - I’ve got some left-over ten-cent bars here”. (Back when the “new” bars were 25 cents.

They smelled of mildew and tasted of kerosene (from the store’s heater). Even though we were kids, we still figured we shouldn’t eat them after the first taste!