‘An insult to women’: Holland & Barrett accused of ‘menowashing’ with £3.79 chocolate-covered ‘menopause almond’ bar claiming to facilitate hormonal changes

Holland & Barrett has been accused of denigrating women by selling a £3.79 bar of chocolate-covered ‘menopause almonds’.

The health food giant claims the sweet treat, which contains a woman’s entire daily allowance of saturated fat, can ease menopausal symptoms and provide ‘mood support’.

According to the instructions on the pack, each 75g bar contains ‘one daily dose’, adding: ‘We recommend splitting the bar in half and taking one half in the morning and the other in the evening.’

It claims to contain vitamin B6 and claims this ‘contributes to the regulation of hormonal activity’. However, vitamin B6 is naturally present in almonds.

A description on Holland & Barrett’s website describes the product as “a treat that will satisfy your taste buds and support your mood.”

It adds: ‘Satisfy those chocolate cravings with our delicious bar. Rich, dark chocolate combines with crunchy almonds to create a tasty combo.’

The bar contains 100 percent of a woman’s daily intake of saturated fat, and almost a quarter of her daily calories

Holland & Barrett has previously run a campaign, led by TV presenter Cherry Healey (pictured), to support women going through the menopause

Menopause activist Kate Muir called the product ‘crazy’ and accused Holland & Barrett of ‘menowashing’.

She said: ‘I really feel this is exploiting a vulnerable group of women who deserve much, much better than they would get from a chocolate bar. I think it shows real contempt.

“Luckily I don’t think women are that stupid, and hopefully they don’t get distracted by ridiculous money-making products like this.”

Menopause activist Kate Muir accused Holland & Barrett of exploiting vulnerable menopausal women

Ms Muir, author of Everything You Need to Know About the Menopause, joked that Holland & Barrett should make a Milk Tray-style chocolate box with the chocolates named after menopause symptoms – such as the Hot Flush Cream, the Brain Fog Truffle and the Dry Vagina swirl.

But she added: ‘We also need to recognize this as a hormone deficiency which is very serious in terms of women’s mental health. There is a spike in suicide among perimenopausal women.

‘Women need to know they can go to the NHS and get the right help and hormone replacement therapy, rather than relying on chocolate bars and ineffective free remedies.’

In addition to chocolate and almonds, the bars contain a small amount of saffron extract, called ‘Affron’.

The product was tested in 2021 in a very small trial sponsored by its makers, which showed it had no effect on hot flashes or other physical symptoms of menopause.

A small number of women said they felt slightly happier after eating 28mg of it every day for 12 weeks, which is equivalent to the amount in seven bars of Holland & Barrett chocolate.

Each chocolate bar contains 462 calories, almost a quarter of a woman’s daily intake, and 20 grams of saturated fat – a woman’s entire daily intake.

An Instagram user jokingly referred to the bar as ‘depression support for men’

A reviewer on Holland & Barrett’s website said the bar was not as good as other chocolate available at a similar price

Furious social media users railed against Holland & Barrett, which has 727 stores in Britain, calling the product ‘shameful’ and ‘ridiculous’.

One person relabeled the bar as ‘Depression Support Almonds for Men’ and wrote: ‘Do you think they will be tricked into buying it?’

Another messaged the chain: ‘No more shopping in your stores. Take your menopause nuts and push them in.”

Someone else wrote: ‘Disgraceful, shameful, shameful rubbish!’

A fourth person added: ‘Insulting to the female race. It’s literally CRAZY.’

One man joked: ‘Is that to feed the menopausal ‘her indoors’ and ease her depression?’

One reviewer wrote on Holland & Barrett’s website: ‘I don’t know why this is marketed as menopause chocolate, but I bought it anyway. It was okay, but no better than any other chocolate, and not even as tasty as a leading organic chocolate for the same price. Expensive for what it is and poor value for money.’

The market for antimenopausal drugs is currently estimated at £472 billion ($600 billion) worldwide. Due to an aging population, an estimated 1.2 billion women will experience menopause in 2030.

However, campaigners have warned that such products are often designed to exploit vulnerable women because they are ineffective or based on poor clinical evidence.

A spokesperson for Holland & Barrett said the chocolate and almond bar is ‘a snack with added benefits’ for menopausal women.

They said: ‘We have long supported women’s wellbeing and advocated for greater awareness and education about menopause and menstrual health and the options available to support women at this time.

‘Our Almonds in Dark Chocolate with Benefits Bar is delicious dark chocolate with Affron, a clinically researched extract that helps support mood during menopause and contains vitamin B6 to help regulate hormonal activity.

‘It is recommended to consume it as part of a balanced and varied diet in addition to a healthy lifestyle, giving women the choice to opt for a snack with additional benefits.’