Chocolate lovers in the UK ignoring healthy eating messages

According to latest findings, chocolate lovers in the UK are ignoring healthy eating messages and spending more than ever to satisfy their chocolate cravings.

Chocolate scoffing UK householders are spending a record £3.6 billion on confectionery each year, with an annual increase of 4.3%.

The good news however is that palates are becoming more discerning, and more is being spent on the high quality end of the chocolate market, for example from Green and Black's organic chocolate range.

Alan Parker, chief executive of The Chocolate Society said: "People should focus their energy on developing a taste for dark chocolate, because its high cocoa content means that it contains far less sugar than the average chocolate bar."

While this is good news for the quality chocolate manufacturers, latest figures show that spending on old favourites such as Mars bars and Lion bars has fallen by 1.5%, presumably as the British public develop their palates for better quality chocolate indulgences.