With their malted honeycomb centre and milk chocolate shell, Maltesers have long been one of Britain’s most beloved treats.
First marketed as ‘energy balls’, they were created in the UK by American businessman Forrest Mars Sr. – son of the Mars Inc founder – back in 1936.
Now, nearly 90 years later, fans are insisting that the best way to enjoy them is from a cardboard box, not a plastic pouch.
One posted on X (formerly Twitter): ‘Still waiting for the day scientists come up with the answer to the most vital of questions – why do Maltesers taste better from a box than a packet?’
Another added: ‘My dad used to buy me a box once a month when he got paid and they tasted like pure nectar. Box all the way.’
And one joked: ‘Modern science can produce absolute wonders, but they still haven’t discovered why Maltesers taste better from a box than a packet…’
Even TV personality Dani Dyer got involved, posting: ‘Why do Maltesers taste better in a box.’
Now, scientists have finally weighed in on the debate – and say that social media might be onto something.
Social media users have noted that Maltesers taste better from a cardboard box than a plastic packet – now scientists reveal why
TV personality Dani Dyer, daughter of actor Danny, posted on Twitter in 2019: ‘Why do Maltesers taste better in a box’
Charles Spence, professor of experimental psychology at Oxford University, said the packaging affects the overall experience of eating Maltesers, rather than their taste.
In the cardboard box, the delectable little spheres are able to stack up in neat rows, accentuating their curviness and shiny brown exterior.
And the more we eat from the box, the more they have room to move about, making a ‘lovely rolly-around noise’ as one X user put it.
‘Maltesers roll about it a box so we pay more attention to them rather than sitting in bottom of bag stationary and hard to find,’ Professor Spence told MailOnline.
‘Food in motion capture our visual attention – it’s what M&S use, and Super Bowl ads where food products are always shown moving.’
‘It is nearly always the packaging that makes the difference.’
Professor Barry Smith, director of the Institute of Philosophy at University of London’s School of Advanced Study, agrees that sound plays a big part during food experiences.
‘The reason Maltesers would be perceived as tasting better from the box than the packet is the sound quality of the little, light round objects colliding with the sides of the box and with each other,’ Professor Smith told MailOnline.
Maltesers were created in the UK in 1936 by American businessman Forrest Mars Sr. director of candy giant Mars Inc – and they were originally sold in cardboard boxes before the plastic pouches arrived
A ‘truth universally acknowledged’: Fans are insisting that the best way to enjoy them is from a cardboard box, not a plastic pouch
‘There’s something in the rumbling sound of them’: Research has shown that the rest of the five senses other than taste – smell, touch, sight and sound – influence how we enjoy food
They’re one of Britain’s most beloved treats, featuring a crunchy malted honeycomb centre covered in milk chocolate
‘It is clear from that sound and the feeling of rolling of the pieces what shape and weight they are, and that will intensify our expectation (and memory) of what we are about to pop in the mouth.
‘You can’t get these same sensory and sonic cues from the packet.’
Professor Spence also pointed out that you see more Maltesers in a box than in a bag, while the black interior of the Maltesers box may also be a deliberate ploy.
A 2006 study by food packaging researchers at the University of Valencia found that darker colours ‘indicate premium quality’.
‘Products with a high price, based on elegance and refined aesthetics, require packaging with colder and darker colours, preferably black,’ it said.
‘In contrast, more accessible products directed to more price sensitive consumers, require light coloured packaging, preferably white.’
Research has suggested that all of the five senses – taste, smell, touch, sight and sound – influence how we enjoy food or even perceive its flavour.
Professor Smith, who has previously worked with Kellogg’s and Coca Cola, thinks the crackle of a packet or the colour of a box makes us anticipate an edible reward.
Originally marketed as ‘energy balls’, Maltesers were created in the UK by American businessman Forrest Mars Sr. back in 1936 and first sold the following year
Just about everything about our favorite products, from packet to texture, smell and taste are optimized to make us want more.
‘Companies want to enhance our experience of perception of the taste of their products by sensory means – different from changing the formulas or ingredients,’ Professor Smith told MailOnline.
In a statement, Mars Inc, which makes Maltesers, said the spherical treats have long been ‘sparking plenty of debate over whether they taste better from a box or a bag’.
‘The secret recipe combination of crunchy malt, creamy milk chocolate and just the right sweetness has made Maltesers irresistible for nearly a century,’ Matt Bradbury, senior product development manager at Mars UK, told MailOnline.
‘We’re in the business of taste perception and sensory science – and it’s true that packaging, memories, texture, aroma, and even how you eat a Malteser can all play a role in shaping personal preferences.
‘But, however you choose to eat them, our conclusion on this sweet debate is that Maltesers are delicious – whether it’s from a box, a bag, or straight from your hand.’
