Halloween candy's getting lighter on the chocolate

You may have noticed something different about the candies on offer to fill trick-or-treating bowls this Halloween season: the M&Ms, KitKats, and other formerly chocolate-y treats are not so chocolate-y anymore.

“In place of the chocolate, I saw things like green marshmallow coating,” said Yasmin Tayag, a staff writer for The Atlantic.

Tayag has reported on the ongoing cocoa shortage in West Africa, which has made chocolate treats more expensive to make. Along with offering new chocolate-free flavors, candy companies have reacted by selling smaller chocolate bars and pushing gimmicky fruit-flavored candies.

“Marketplace” host Kimberly Adams talked to Tayag about what’s going on with Halloween candy this year. Click the audio player above to listen to the full conversation.