Two iconic Australian food products have dramatically changed in response to health concerns.
The Killer Python will shrink by half from 47 grams (630kj) to 24 grams (336kj) as part of a global campaign to lower sugar levels in its products.
In a statement, Nestle said: "It’s part of helping people improve their nutrition, health and wellness, and underlines our fundamental belief that for a company to be successful, it must also create value for society."
Martin Brown, the general manager of confectionary, told Fairfax Media there are plans to reduce the size of other treats in the future including Kit Kats, Minties, Life Savers and Wonka Bars.
Nestle has shrunk the Killer Python by half in a bid to lower its sugar levels. (Facebook: Allen's Lollies)
"We've made a global decision that no serving is more than 10 per cent of [children's] daily energy intake - the current Killer Python at 47 grams is way too big," Brown said.
"It would take an average Australian 10-year-old one hour of running or riding a bike to burn off the energy - with the new Killer Python it will be down to 30 minutes," he added.
While it might hurt sales, Brown said it was the right thing to do.
"We sell 13.5 million Killer Pythons a year - when we halve the size we'd expect at least a 20 per cent volume loss as a result," he said. "People may buy more of the smaller products but not enough to make up for the loss in weight.
"But companies that are trusted tend to be rewarded down the line - we want to be the leader in nutrition, health and wellness, so we need to have products that are right-sized to play a role in healthy diet," he said.
Meanwhile, another Aussie icon Vegemite is also caving to health pressures, cutting its salt level by 25 per cent.
“Inspired by requests from around the country, our research and development team here in Port Melbourne have created a variety of Australia’s favourite breakfast spread that even more Aussies can enjoy,” Mike Waddington, General Manager Marketing – Foods said in a statement.
