Boci chocolate has changed: smaller size, new recipe, divisive taste

What changed in the recipe?

According to food safety data sheets from METRO, the Boci chocolate recipe underwent significant modifications between May and September this year:

Cocoa solids content: In May it was still 30%, by September it had decreased to 27%.

Bourbon vanilla flavor: The iconic ingredient was simply replaced by a “natural flavor”.

Vegetable fats: The new recipe has introduced cheaper ingredients such as palm oil and shea butter.

According to the TikTok videographer, these changes have significantly affected the taste and texture of Boci chocolate, which is no longer as creamy and soft as the packaging promises.

What is behind the changes?

There are several factors behind the transformation of the chocolate industry, which can be primarily traced back to the drastic increase in the price of cocoa beans on the world market. Cocoa prices have reached record highs in recent years, which are due to natural disasters and changes in global supply and demand. According to Sándor Sánta, president of the Hungarian Confectionery Manufacturers Association, cocoa bean prices were four times higher this summer than at any time in recent decades.

Due to rising costs, manufacturers are forced to resort to cheaper ingredients to remain competitive. However, this often comes at the expense of taste and quality, as the example of Boci chocolate shows.

Boci chocolate returned to Hungarian hands this year, after Cerbona took over the brand following the Nestlé privatization in 1991. Although many hoped that the domestic owner would bring back the old, familiar quality, the modification of the recipe and the reduction in size caused a rather negative response.

Update, December 2, 2024.

Nestlé’s official response to the article published in Pénzcentrum:

BOCI milk chocolate has been on the market with an unchanged recipe and filling weight since March 2023. The claims made by the product critic based on the product data sheet he obtained are unfortunately based on incorrect information and therefore do not correspond to reality.

Cerbona’s official response to the article published in Pénzcentrum:

Dear Product Critic and Customers!

Thank you for your comments and feedback. In all cases, it is important for us that not only positive but also negative opinions reach us, which help us to better meet the expectations of our consumers. We know that the quality of our products is of paramount importance, and therefore we would like to inform you about the current situation and our future plans. Currently, Boci products manufactured by Nestlé Hungaria Kft. can still be found on store shelves. Nestlé Hungaria Kft. assumes full guarantee and responsibility for the quality of these products. When we acquired the Boci brand in May 2024, we inherited the current recipes, so there have been no changes to them since then.

We assure you that we will treat all comments with the utmost attention.

In the meantime, we have already signed an agreement with a manufacturer with a long professional history, with whom we are working together to further improve quality. Our goal is to make our chocolates not only tastier, but also more special and unique. In addition, we are planning exciting new products. We are preparing new flavors, innovative packaging and premium experiences in the future, so that all our customers can find their favorite.

Thank you for your patience and trust in supporting our work and contributing to making Boci Chocolate better together and making it our chocolate again. We will be announcing exciting new products soon. Please follow our news on the www.boci.hu website and on our social media platforms, because it will be worth it!