Twix
Twix is a chocolate bar manufactured by Mars, Incorporated, featuring a crunchy shortbread biscuit base topped with smooth caramel and enrobed in creamy milk chocolate, typically packaged as a pair of bars for a "twice as good" experience.[1][2] Developed in the United Kingdom by Mars Limited in 1967, Twix was initially produced at the company's Slough factory and launched under the name "Raider" in several European markets before being standardized as Twix globally in the early 1990s.[3] The bar was introduced to the United States market in 1979, where it quickly gained popularity for its unique texture combination of crisp cookie, chewy caramel, and chocolate coating.[1] The name "Twix" is a portmanteau derived from "twin sticks," reflecting the product's dual-bar format.[4] Over the years, Twix has expanded into various formats and flavors, including fun-size minis, peanut butter-filled bars, and salted caramel editions, while maintaining its core recipe that includes milk, soy, and wheat ingredients.[5][3] The brand is known for playful marketing campaigns, such as the "Left Twix vs. Right Twix" advertising that humorously suggests differences between the two bars in a pack, emphasizing the enjoyment of savoring them separately.[3]History
Origins and Early Development
Twix was invented by Mars, Inc. in 1967 and initially launched in the United Kingdom under the name "Raider."[6] The bar featured a biscuit base topped with caramel and coated in milk chocolate, designed to appeal to British preferences for biscuit-style confections.[7] Production began at Mars's factory in Slough, England, where the company had previously developed other iconic products like the Mars bar.[7] The Raider bar quickly achieved sales success in the UK, becoming a popular snack that combined crunch and creaminess in a portable format.[8] Following its UK debut, the product expanded to continental Europe in the early 1970s, retaining the Raider name in markets such as Germany and Austria by 1976.[9] This early European rollout established a strong foundation for the brand's growth across the region before any global rebranding efforts.[10] In the United States, the bar was introduced under the name Twix in 1979, selected to evoke the "twin sticks" concept of the dual bars packaged together.[11][4] The name change and packaging emphasized the novelty of two separate bars, differentiating it from single-bar competitors.[4]Rebranding and Market Expansion
In the late 1980s and early 1990s, Mars, Inc. undertook a significant rebranding effort in Europe, changing the name of the chocolate bar from "Raider"—its original moniker in many continental markets since the 1960s—to "Twix" to align with the company's global branding strategy. This transition, completed primarily in 1991 though delayed until 2000 in countries such as Denmark, Finland, Norway, Sweden, and Turkey, aimed to create a unified identity across international markets and capitalize on the product's growing popularity, though it initially faced some consumer resistance in regions attached to the Raider name.[7][10] The rebranding coincided with aggressive market expansion beyond Europe and North America. Twix entered the Australian market in 1989 as part of Mars' push into the Asia-Pacific region, marking the first of several new product launches Down Under and quickly gaining traction among local consumers. By the 1990s, the brand extended into various Asian markets, where Mars adapted formulations slightly to accommodate regional preferences, such as varying sweetness levels or packaging sizes, while maintaining the core biscuit-caramel-chocolate profile to ensure broad appeal.[12][3] In the United States, where Twix had launched in 1979, the 1980s saw the reinforcement of its unique dual-bar format through packaging and marketing that emphasized the "left and right" concept, positioning the two sticks as complementary halves of a single indulgent treat to highlight portability and shareability. This approach helped differentiate Twix in a competitive landscape, contributing to its rise as one of the top-selling candy bars in the US by the 1990s, with strong sales growth reflecting its enduring popularity. Globally, by 2000, Twix had solidified its position within Mars' portfolio, driving substantial revenue through expanded distribution in numerous countries worldwide.[3]Production
Manufacturing Process
Twix bars are primarily produced at Mars Wrigley manufacturing facilities, including the plant in Cleveland, Tennessee, for the North American market, the Topeka facility in Kansas (where Twix production began in 2018), and European sites such as the Viersen factory in Germany and the historic Slough factory in England for international distribution.[13][14][15][16] In July 2025, Mars announced a $2 billion investment in U.S. manufacturing operations through 2026 to expand production capacity across its snacking portfolio, including brands like Twix.[17] The production process starts with mixing and shaping the shortbread biscuit dough, which is then baked to form the crunchy base. Next, the baked cookies are topped with a layer of caramel, heated to approximately 105°F (40.6°C) for smooth application, before being enrobed in tempered milk chocolate. The chocolate coating process involves precise temperature control, maintaining around 45-50°C during enrobing to ensure a glossy finish and proper crystallization. Finally, the coated bars are cooled in tunnels, precisely snapped into twin packs using automated machinery, and wrapped for distribution.[18][19] Quality controls are integral throughout manufacturing, including strict temperature regulation for chocolate tempering to prevent blooming and maintain texture. Mars implements comprehensive allergen management protocols, such as segregation of production lines to minimize cross-contamination risks from peanuts and other allergens present in shared facilities. Shelf-life testing ensures products remain fresh for up to 12 months under proper storage conditions, with ongoing monitoring for microbial safety and sensory quality.[19][20][21] Twix sales exceed 800 million units annually as of 2024, making it one of Mars' top confectionery brands.[22]Ingredients and Nutritional Profile
Twix bars consist of three primary components: a milk chocolate coating, a caramel filling, and a biscuit base. The milk chocolate is made from sugar, cocoa butter, chocolate, skim milk, lactose, milkfat, soy lecithin, PGPR, and artificial flavors.[23] The caramel layer includes sugar, palm oil, corn syrup, skim milk, dextrose, less than 2% of cocoa processed with alkali, salt, malic acid, soy lecithin, natural and artificial flavors, and disodium phosphate.[24] The biscuit is prepared from enriched wheat flour (wheat flour, niacin, reduced iron, thiamine mononitrate, riboflavin, folic acid), sugar, and palm oil.[23] In regions outside the United States, such as the European Union, the formulation varies slightly to comply with local regulations; for example, glucose syrup replaces corn syrup in the caramel, and skimmed condensed milk is used, resulting in potentially lower sugar content due to EU caps on added sugars.[25] Twix contains major allergens including milk, soy, and wheat (gluten), and products may contain traces of peanuts or tree nuts due to shared manufacturing facilities.[5] Twix is not suitable for vegans because of the dairy-derived milk solids and milkfat in the chocolate and caramel.[23] It holds kosher dairy certification from the Orthodox Union (OU-D) in the US market.[26] The nutritional profile for a standard US Twix bar (two cookies, 50g serving) is as follows:| Nutrient | Amount per Serving | % Daily Value |
|---|---|---|
| Calories | 250 | - |
| Total Fat | 12g | 15% |
| Saturated Fat | 7g | 35% |
| Trans Fat | 0g | - |
| Cholesterol | 5mg | 2% |
| Sodium | 90mg | 4% |
| Total Carbohydrates | 33g | 12% |
| Dietary Fiber | 1g | 4% |
| Total Sugars | 25g (includes 25g added sugars) | 50% |
| Protein | 2g | - |
| Calcium | 40mg | 4% |
| Iron | 0.7mg | 4% |
| Potassium | 100mg | 2% |