Some of the UK's best-selling chocolate bars, such as Mars and Twix, will no longer be suitable for vegetarians.
Also affecting brands such as Snickers and Maltesers, owner Masterfoods said it had started to use animal product rennet to make its chocolate products.

Masterfoods said the change was due to it switching the sourcing of its ingredients and the admission was a "principled decision" on its part.

The Vegetarian Society said the company's move was "incomprehensible".

'Extremely disappointed'

Masterfoods said it had started using rennet from 1 May and non-affected products had a "best before date" up to 1 October.

Rennet, a chemical sourced from calves' stomachs, is used in the production of whey.

It will now also be found in Bounty, Minstrels and Milky Way products, and the ice cream versions of all Masterfoods' bars.

"If the customer is an extremely strict vegetarian, then we are sorry the products are no longer suitable, but a less strict vegetarian should enjoy our chocolate," said Paul Goalby, corporate affairs manager for Masterfoods.

The Vegetarian Society said it was "extremely disappointed".

"At a time when more and more consumers are concerned about the provenance of their food, Masterfoods' decision to use non-vegetarian whey is a backward step," it said in a statement.

"Mars products are very popular with young people and many will be shocked to discover that their manufacture now relies on the extraction of rennet from the stomach lining of young calves," it added.

Don't really see the problem with it, they warned vegitarians its changing. It's up to the veggies to find an alternative after all they / you chose that path. Lets be honest, big deal you can't eat a certain type of chocolate.

Well actually there is a BIG problem with it. Yes, they are warning them in advance (which they have to do) but what if that was your favourite chocolate bar? The fact is, meat eaters can eat the veggie rennet stuff, vegetarians can't eat the meat stuff. It is all about choice. Most cheese changed over to the veggie stuff years ago, the simple fact is you don't need animal rennet for these items. It is like taking a step back, IMO.

I can't fathom it myself. There are ALOT of vegetarians in the UK and I reckon that Masterfoods have just shot themselves in the foot, their sales figures may drop quite a bit.

I hope their sales go through the floor; they're probably only doing it to increase their profit margins. B*stards. Animal rennet is disgusting and unnecessary. I like eating meat too, but cow stomach lining is taking it too far.

Exactly! There is, quite simply, no need for animal rennet anymore. There are substitutes that are used throughout the food industry. As I said...it is like a step backwards.

I hope people start to boycott their foods, I really do.

Favorite candy bar? so what..

Prioritize your outrage, honestly how big a deal is a candy bar? When Asda brand soup (my favorite soup for a while) announced that they would now have little to zero salt, I changed brands.. mainly because it was tasteless. There are other options available so stop making a big deal out of it.

Old saying, vote with your feet, or in this case by not buying them.

I'm actually more outraged by the fact that they are reverting to using animal products again. In a world where vegetarian rennet is available, there is simply no need for the animal based product anymore.

Fair one, I would like to know why they're changing after this time too even though I am a meat eating mofo

eating meat involves a certain amount of "I don't want to know" suspension of curiosity, but seriously, most people are going to be a little grossed out by that.

Not really.

I've killed, skinned, gutted, prepared, cooked and eaten my own meat before, no biggy.

The worst mistake they're making is letting people know they'll be eating living calf stomach chemicals. I mean, eating meat involves a certain amount of "I don't want to know" suspension of curiosity, but seriously, most people are going to be a little grossed out by that.

If you don't want to know the reality of what you are eating, then you shouldn't eat it. People who are bothered by the concept of eating animals, should become vegetarians.

Ewww....I'm with Alex+R, I don't wanna know. I don't like to think about it.

Never been fishing or hunting then? My brother was a long haired, beardy veggie for about a year and a half...comical if you know him now, head of Human Resources and Sales at a major wild life caller company, hunter, fisherman, beer drinking angus steak-burger guy. Vegetables are used to lure what he eats now

But bacon tastes GOOD.

I've always said: Bacon is God's way of saying, "I love you."

But bacon tastes GOOD. Pork chops taste GOOD.

If you don't want to know the reality of what you are eating, then you shouldn't eat it. People who are bothered by the concept of eating animals, should become vegetarians.

Never been fishing or hunting then? My brother was a long haired, beardy veggie for about a year and a half...comical if you know him now, head of Human Resources and Sales at a major wild life caller company, hunter, fisherman, beer drinking angus steak-burger guy. Vegetables are used to lure what he eats now

I've always said: Bacon is God's way of saying, "I love you."

Yes, but my point is that people who love bacon but don't want to know that it was carved off the side of a pig are hypocrits. It annoys me when people say "I hate meat when I can see that it was an animal". These people are just in denial.

HAHAHAHAHA...yeah, that's true. Bacon is so good.

Heehee... I think I'm an agnostic and not an atheist solely on the basis that bacon exists, therefore there must be a cosmic power out there!

Galaxy is made by Mars, so I would guess the answer is yes. Better stick to Cadbury's in future.

I can't stand Cadbury's chocolate - I find it has a rancid taste. So that isn't an option for me.

I looked up this question of whey being used in Masterfood's chocolate and they say that any bars with a "best before" date of 1st October 07 don't have the animal whey in, so vegetarians are okay to eat this. Any with a "best before" date after 1st October 07 has animal whey in it.

Letter to Customer from Masterfoods

I guess I am just going to wither away now!

Girona just switch to Green & Black's. http://www.greenandblacks.com

I may just have to do that! I was just talking to my husband about how deprived I am going to feel, now that I can't eat Galaxy, and mentioned your suggestion. He said it was pretty good chocolate!

But, I am a bit weird in some ways........I know you all find that really hard to believe.........if I were to buy Green & Black's chocolate I would feel guilty, because I feel it is more of a "luxury" product. I would feel that I shouldn't be buying it, whereas I could buy half a dozen bars of "old cheapie" Galaxy and not think anything of it!

Maybe, like I said before, it would be a good thing. I could buy Green & Black's chocolate as a "treat" and not so much as a staple!

I still feel pretty p*ssed that Mars have done this!

But, I am a bit weird in some ways........I know you all find that really hard to believe.........if I were to buy Green & Black's chocolate I would feel guilty, because I feel it is more of a "luxury" product. I would feel that I shouldn't be buying it, whereas I could buy half a dozen bars of "old cheapie" Galaxy and not think anything of it!

I took a random sampling of some Masterfoods products in my office's canteen; none of them had a best before date before 01/10/2007. Guess the vegetarians and people grossed out by animal rennet are SOL.

Chocolate should never be a staple anyway, it's very unhealthy.

Plus, choccie should never be a staple in anyone's diet (& only be a treat)!

I know damn well it was carved off the side of a pig, that doesn't mean I want to watch or wield the knife.

Chocolate should never be a staple anyway, it's very unhealthy.