Snickers
Snickers is a chocolate bar manufactured by Mars, Incorporated, consisting of nougat topped with caramel and peanuts, all enrobed in milk chocolate.[1] Introduced in 1930 and first produced in Chicago, Illinois, it was named after a favorite horse owned by the Mars family and initially sold for five cents.[2] The bar's combination of ingredients provides a chewy, crunchy texture that has contributed to its enduring popularity as a snack addressing hunger.[1] Over the decades, Snickers has expanded into various formats, including ice cream bars and almond variations, while maintaining its core recipe.[3] Its advertising campaigns, emphasizing satisfaction from hunger, have driven significant market growth, positioning it as one of the top-selling confectionery products worldwide.[2]Origins and Development
Invention and Initial Launch
The Snickers chocolate bar was developed by Frank C. Mars, founder of Mars, Incorporated (originally the Mar-O-Bar Company), as an extension of the company's early confectionery innovations following the 1923 launch of the Milky Way bar. Mars, who had established his candy business in Minneapolis before relocating production, focused on creating a nougat-based bar incorporating peanuts and caramel enrobed in milk chocolate, drawing from ongoing experimentation with chocolate recipes that began in the late 1920s. The product was finalized amid the company's growth, with Mars' son Forrest E. Mars Sr. joining the business in 1929 to assist in operations.[4][5] Initial production of Snickers commenced at the Mars Candy Factory in Chicago, Illinois, where the bar was manufactured starting in 1930. It was introduced to the U.S. market that year, retailing for five cents per bar—a standard price point for candy during the early Great Depression era—and quickly positioned as a satisfying snack combining hunger-satisfying elements like peanuts for protein and nougat for texture. Early advertising emphasized its filling qualities, with 1930 ads promoting it as "candy at its best" to appeal to consumers seeking affordable indulgence.[2][4]Name Origins and International Rollout
The Snickers candy bar was introduced in the United States on November 11, 1930, by Mars, Incorporated, with its name derived from the company's founders' favorite horse of the same name.[2] [6] The bar was initially produced at Mars' factory in Chicago, Illinois, and retailed for five cents per unit.[2] International expansion began in the late 1960s, with the product launching in the United Kingdom in 1967 under the alternative name Marathon, due to concerns that "Snickers" phonetically resembled the British slang term "knickers" for women's underwear, potentially hindering market acceptance.[2] [7] This renaming reflected localized branding strategies employed by Mars to adapt to cultural and linguistic sensitivities in non-U.S. markets.[8] The Marathon variant remained in use in the UK and Ireland until 1990, when Mars standardized the name globally to Snickers as part of a broader effort to unify its confectionery portfolio across international borders and leverage established brand equity from the American market.[2] [9] By the 1990s, Snickers had rolled out to numerous other countries, including initial European entries like West Germany in 1968, contributing to its status as one of the world's best-selling chocolate bars with availability in over 80 markets today.[8]Corporate Ownership and Global Expansion
Snickers has been produced by Mars, Incorporated, an American multinational manufacturer of confectionery, since its introduction in 1930 by company founder Frank C. Mars.[2] Mars, Incorporated remains a privately held company wholly owned by the Mars family, enabling a focus on long-term strategies without public shareholder pressures.[10] Following Frank Mars's death in 1934, control passed to his son Forrest Mars Sr., who expanded the company's operations while maintaining family ownership.[4] The company's private status has supported sustained investment in brands like Snickers, contributing to its position within Mars's portfolio of over $47 billion in annual sales as of 2022.[4] Under Mars, Incorporated's stewardship, Snickers expanded from its initial U.S. launch in 1930 to international markets beginning in the 1960s, led by Forrest Mars Sr.'s efforts to globalize the brand.[11] In the United Kingdom and Ireland, it was introduced in 1967 as "Marathon" to avoid associations with the slang term "knickers," before being renamed Snickers in 1990 to align with global branding.[2] Further expansion included entry into the Commonwealth of Independent States in 1991 and the opening of Mars's first manufacturing facility in Beijing, China, in 1993, facilitating broader Asian distribution.[4] By the post-World War II era, improved global trade enabled Snickers to penetrate recovering economies, establishing it as a staple in over 80 countries.[11] Snickers achieved significant sales milestones during its global rollout, surpassing $1 billion in U.S. sales alone by 2013 and reaching estimated global sales of approximately $3.6 billion in 2023, underscoring its status as the world's best-selling candy bar.[2] Marketing initiatives, such as the 2010 "You're not you when you're hungry" campaign, boosted global sales by 15.9% in its first full year and expanded market share in 56 of 58 countries.[12] Mars's investments in production, including the 1964 Peanut Craftsmen facility in Georgia for Snickers peanuts, supported scalable international supply chains.[4] This expansion has positioned Snickers as a key driver of Mars Wrigley Confectionery's $22 billion in 2023 sales, the largest in the global confectionery sector.[13]Product Composition
Core Ingredients and Manufacturing Process
The Snickers bar features a layered structure consisting of a soft nougat base, topped with caramel, roasted peanuts, and enrobed in milk chocolate.[1] The primary ingredients include milk chocolate (comprising sugar, cocoa butter, chocolate, skim milk, lactose, milkfat, and soy lecithin), peanuts, corn syrup, sugar, and smaller amounts of skim milk, butter, cocoa powder processed with alkali, palm kernel oil, salt, egg whites, and natural and artificial flavors.[14] These components are sourced globally, with peanuts typically roasted for enhanced flavor prior to incorporation.[15] Manufacturing begins with the preparation of nougat, produced by whipping a mixture of corn syrup, sugar, and egg whites to incorporate air, creating a light, aerated texture.[16] This nougat is then spread onto a conveyor belt in a thin layer and allowed to partially set. A layer of caramel—made from heated corn syrup, sugar, milk, and palm oil—is poured over the nougat, followed by the addition of roasted peanuts.[17] The assembly is cooled to firm the layers, then cut into individual bars approximately 1.86 ounces (52.7 grams) in weight for the standard single size.[1] The bars undergo enrobing, where they pass over a wire mesh conveyor through a curtain of tempered milk chocolate, ensuring complete coverage while excess drips off.[16] A final cooling tunnel solidifies the chocolate coating, preventing bloom and maintaining snap. The process occurs in high-volume facilities, such as Mars' plants in Waco, Texas, and Chicago, Illinois, producing millions of bars daily under controlled humidity and temperature to preserve quality.[15] Quality checks, including weight verification and visual inspection, occur throughout to meet food safety standards set by the FDA.[17]Nutritional Profile and Caloric Value
A standard Snickers bar weighs 1.86 ounces (approximately 52.7 grams) and contains 250 calories per serving.[1] Its macronutrient profile consists primarily of carbohydrates and fats, with limited fiber and protein relative to its caloric density.[1] The bar's nutritional composition per serving is as follows:| Nutrient | Amount | % Daily Value |
|---|---|---|
| Total Fat | 12 g | 15% |
| Saturated Fat | 4.5 g | 23% |
| Trans Fat | 0 g | - |
| Cholesterol | <5 mg | 0% |
| Sodium | 125 mg | 5% |
| Total Carbohydrates | 32 g | 12% |
| Dietary Fiber | 1 g | 4% |
| Total Sugars | 28 g | - |
| Added Sugars | 26 g | 52% |
| Protein | 4 g | - |
| Vitamin D | - | 0% |
| Calcium | - | 4% |
| Iron | - | 0% |
| Potassium | - | 4% |