Today I am trying out and reviewing Aldi Choc O Low No Added Sugar Milk Chocolate. As a lover of chocolate I’m really intrigued by this product.
I have to admit that before trying this chocolate, I’m reminded of an early episode of Friends where Monica gets a job testing a new chocolate called Mockolate. It’s tagline was ‘Mockolate – It’s better than Chocolate’.
The Friends were less than impressed with how it fizzed in the mouth and no matter what recipe Monica tried on the others, they couldn’t be won over. Is this about to happen to me?
The Look
I’m no stranger to the Aldi chocolate range, so I’m surprised to see that the bar is wrapped in silver foil and then a full card cover instead of a sealed wrapper. The artwork for the bar is quite different to Aldi’s other product ranges so it does stand out on the shelves.
On opening the foil, the chocolate looks like any other bar. There are no tell-tale signs to it’s ‘no added sugar’ credentials.
The Texture
This chocolate feels like any other milk chocolate. It’s solid and it doesn’t melt easily when handled and in my opinion that’s a really good thing! No one wants chocolate all over their hands before they’ve had a chance to have a nibble.
When I go to take a square, I get a really nice snap of the bar – reminds me of when Paul Hollywood from The Great British Bake Off talks about what he’s looking for in a biscuit!
The Taste
I’m ready to dislike the taste, but I’m pleasantly surprised. It looks, smells, feels and tastes like chocolate. No Mockolate-style fizz or after taste, I’m pleasantly surprised. Just a nice tasting milk chocolate.
The Built-in Safety Net
So when something looks too good to be true, it normally is. Sugar free chocolate has to include something for it to taste like the product. Chocolate with no sugar has to have something added for sweetness, so I’m afraid Ladies and Gentlemen to burst that bubble.
When you look at the ingredients panel, it tells you what’s in the product and the higher the item appears in the list, the more of it is included in the products.
The very first ingredient is Sweeteners: (Maltitol & Lactitol), followed by Cocoa Butter etc. If you’re not familiar with confectionery that contains sweeteners in any quantity, the product labelling includes a stark warning “Excessive consumption may produce laxative effects.”
So you’re thinking that Aldi have produced a chocolate which includes a safety net. Eat too much and you’ll be running to the loo. But what is too much? Well let me overshare and tell you that only 2 squares was enough for my body to feel those unwanted side effects.
No Added Sugar Vs Regular Chocolate
When you eat chocolate, you know that you are going to be consuming a certain amount of calories, but what happens when you choose a product that has no added sugar? Do the calories in that product matter because there’s no added sugar?
What if I told you that there is only a 40 Calorie difference between the Aldi Choc O Low No Added Sugar Milk Chocolate and Cadbury Dairy Milk, per 100g?
When something has less added sugar or is lower in fat, there has to be a trade-off. In this case, while no sugar has been added, the manufacturer has added more fat, so let’s look at the details:-
ALDI No Added Sugar Chocolate – per 100g, 35g fat (21g of which are saturated).
Cadbury Dairy Milk – per 100g, 30g fat (18g of which are saturated).
Here are the nutritional panels, Aldi Choc O Low on the left and Cadbury Dairy Milk on the right.
If you eat 20g (2 squares) of Aldi Choc O Low, you will consume 99 Calories, 6.9g fat. If you choose 20g of Cadbury Dairy Milk, you will consume 107 calories and 6g of fat, but more importantly there is NO RISK of a laxative effect.
The Cost
The pack was £0.79 for a 100g bar and for a product that goes down the toilet pretty quickly if you’re not careful I’d recommend you cut out the middle man. This isn’t something I’d recommend, sorry Aldi.
Overall Verdict
Taste : 2.75 out of 5
Value for money : 0 out of 5
Likelihood of buying it again : 0 out of 5
Where To Buy It
You can find this product in most Aldi stores. for just £0.79 but don’t say I didn’t warn you!
Information correct at time of publishing
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I’m so disappointed. I can hardly believe my milk Chocolow has disappeared off Aldi shelves. Such a possibility never occurred to me. I just thought my local store Ledbury was temporarily out of stock until I spoke to the manager who said Discontinued, sorry. I felt quite sick actually. Im diabetic and it was the only chocolate I felt ok about eating just 2 squares per day. I have just 1 bar left Please please please RESTORE this great product to Aldi shelves.
I echo this customer’s disappointment. So many sugar free treats have gone from our shelves. Tesco and Asda have discontinued own brand no added sugar ketchup. It used to be a very reasonable 69p. Now there is only the expensive branded version that costs about 3pounds depending on whether it’s on special offer. Sainsbury’s used to have several sugar free chocolate choices. Now there is only their own brand plain or milk chocolate. It costs 95p compared to Aldi’s 69p There is absolutely NOTHING to upgrade to if you want a special treat at Christmas or for Easter or a birthday or to give as a gift. It’s a real shame. There is aisle after aisle after aisle of sugary treats but virtually nothing for people who’d quite like to hang on to their teeth and still eat every day normal food let alone have a treat. Sham on these big supermarkets who are selfishly putting profit before everything