Nestle recasts its Black Magic recipes

With the release of four new chocolates this month under the dark chocolate brand Black Magic, the company will be focusing on new trends in dark chocolate, luxury products and block chocolate. Dark chocolate is becoming increasingly popular under recent research that suggests the health benefits of chocolate with a high percentage of cocoa. Researchers claim the high percentage of cocoa can help lower blood pressure and prevent cardiovascular disease. One study suggested that a high intake of flavonoids, powerful antioxidants, delivers benefits to the cardiovascular system - and dark chocolate contains almost five times the flavonol content of apples. As part of this trend, Global Industry Analysts said last month that demand for cocoa will increase 2.7 per cent over the next three years, exceeding four million tonnes by 2010. Another trend Nestle are taking advantage of is the increasing demand for premium block chocolates, as consumers are interested in more luxury products following the rise in wealth and spending power. The company's new range of products will include a dark chocolate collection, dark discovery bars, dark chocolate thing, and black magic tablet bars. As part of the launch, Nestle plans to package the products in a way to reflect its luxury content. This move by Nestle follows Mars' announcement this month that it will re-launch its Galaxy bars under the same trends.