Soft bar — Caramel & Milk Chocolate

Where does it come from? It is made from glucose, a simple sugar usually taken from starch such as corn or wheat.

How is it made? Glucose is heated with a little sorbitol and citric acid until the pieces link into long, branched chains your body mostly can't digest.

Why is it needed? Used to replace the bulk that is lost when sugar is removed, and to raise fibre content.

What does it do here? It's on this label as “Bulking agents (polydextrose, calcium carbonate)” (ingredient 1 of 13 linked). The brand doesn't say exactly what job it does in this product, so Dotfly won't guess.

Where does it come from? From cow's milk.

How is it made? Milk is filtered or separated so the protein part is kept and much of the water, fat and milk sugar is removed, then dried to a powder.

Why is it needed? Used to raise protein content and to build the chewy body of protein bars.

What does it do here? It's on this label as “MILK PROTEIN” (ingredient 2 of 13 linked). The brand doesn't say exactly what job it does in this product, so Dotfly won't guess.

Where does it come from? Collagen is a protein from animal connective tissue, skin or bones (for example cattle, pigs or fish).

How is it made? The collagen is broken into smaller pieces with water and enzymes (that's what "hydrolysed" means), then dried.

Why is it needed? Used to add protein without thickening the recipe the way other proteins do.

What does it do here? It's on this label as “Hydrolysed collagen” (ingredient 3 of 13 linked). The brand doesn't say exactly what job it does in this product, so Dotfly won't guess.

Where does it come from? From cocoa beans, the seeds of the cacao tree.

How is it made? Beans are fermented, dried and roasted, ground into a paste, and the paste is pressed to squeeze out the fat.

Why is it needed? Used to give chocolate its snap, gloss and the way it melts in the mouth.

What does it do here? It's on this label as “Cocoa butter” (ingredient 4 of 13 linked). The brand doesn't say exactly what job it does in this product, so Dotfly won't guess.

Where does it come from? Glycerol is part of every fat and oil, from plants or animals.

How is it made? It is usually split off from fats and oils and then purified into a clear, slightly sweet liquid.

Why is it needed? Used to keep bars soft over shelf life by holding on to moisture.

What does it do here? It's on this label as “Humectant (glycerol)” (ingredient 5 of 13 linked). The brand doesn't say exactly what job it does in this product, so Dotfly won't guess.

Where does it come from? From the root of the chicory plant, a relative of the dandelion.

How is it made? The roots are chopped and soaked in hot water, which pulls out the fibre (inulin), then it is cleaned and dried.

Why is it needed? Used to add fibre and a light sweetness, and to give body to bars, spreads and drinks.

What does it do here? It's on this label as “Dietary fibre (inulin, oligofructose)” (ingredient 6 of 13 linked). The brand doesn't say exactly what job it does in this product, so Dotfly won't guess.

Where does it come from? From cow's milk.

How is it made? Milk is concentrated and then sprayed into hot air so the water evaporates and a powder is left.

Why is it needed? Used in milk chocolate for creaminess, colour and a milder cocoa taste.

What does it do here? It's on this label as “SKIMMED MILK POWDER, whole milk powder” (ingredient 7 of 13 linked). The brand doesn't say exactly what job it does in this product, so Dotfly won't guess.

Where does it come from? Found naturally in small amounts in some fruits and fermented foods.

How is it made? For food use it is usually made by fermentation: microbes are fed glucose and turn it into erythritol, which is then purified.

Why is it needed? Used as a bulk sweetener, often combined with high-intensity sweeteners to balance the taste profile.

What does it do here? It's on this label as “Sweetener (erythritol) (3.1%)” (ingredient 8 of 13 linked). The brand doesn't say exactly what job it does in this product, so Dotfly won't guess.

Where does it come from? From cocoa beans, the seeds of the cacao tree.

How is it made? Fermented, dried and roasted beans are shelled and ground until the fat melts into a thick, dark paste.

Why is it needed? Used as the flavour and colour base of dark and milk chocolate, and as a carrier for cocoa butter.

What does it do here? It's on this label as “Cocoa mass” (ingredient 9 of 13 linked). The brand doesn't say exactly what job it does in this product, so Dotfly won't guess.

Where does it come from? Found in small amounts in fruit and vegetables; for food use often made from birch wood or corn cobs.

How is it made? Plant fibres are broken down to a sugar called xylose, which is then converted into xylitol and purified.

Why is it needed? Used to sweeten confectionery and chewing formats while keeping a sugar-like taste.

What does it do here? It's on this label as “Sweetener (xylitol)” (ingredient 10 of 13 linked). The brand doesn't say exactly what job it does in this product, so Dotfly won't guess.

Where does it come from? From soya beans.

How is it made? It is separated out while soya bean oil is being cleaned, then dried.

Why is it needed? Used in chocolate to help fat and solids flow together, which reduces the amount of cocoa butter needed.

What does it do here? It's on this label as “Emulsifier (SOYA LECITHIN)” (ingredient 11 of 13 linked). The brand doesn't say exactly what job it does in this product, so Dotfly won't guess.

Where does it come from? From cocoa beans, the seeds of the cacao tree.

How is it made? After most of the cocoa butter is pressed out of cocoa paste, the dry cake that's left is ground into powder.

Why is it needed? Used to add cocoa taste and colour where a low fat content is needed, for example in drinks and coatings.

What does it do here? It's on this label as “Reduced-fat cocoa powder” (ingredient 12 of 13 linked). The brand doesn't say exactly what job it does in this product, so Dotfly won't guess.

Where does it come from? The stevia PLANT is a leafy shrub from South America. Steviol glycosides are the sweet compounds in its leaves — and in the EU they are an authorised food additive (E 960), not the leaf itself.

How is it made? In general they are extracted from dried leaves with water and purified; other authorised production methods also exist. This label does not say how its supplier made them.

Why is it needed? Used in very small amounts to add sweetness without adding bulk or energy.

What does it do here? It's on this label as “Sweeteners (sucralose, steviol glycosides from stevia)” (ingredient 13 of 13 linked). The brand doesn't say exactly what job it does in this product, so Dotfly won't guess.