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Milka maker milked shoppers over size of chocolate bars, German court rules
TL;DR
A German court ruled that Milka's owner, Mondelēz, deceived consumers by reducing the size of its chocolate bars from 100g to 90g while keeping the packaging unchanged. This practice, known as shrinkflation, has become common as companies try to manage rising costs.
Key points
- German court ruled against Mondelēz for misleading consumers
- Milka bar size reduced from 100g to 90g
- Price increased from €1.49 to €1.99 after size change
- Shrinkflation is becoming common in the food industry
- Other brands like Toblerone also affected by size reductions
Mentioned in this story
MondelēzGermany
Milka
Many chocolate lovers consider shrinkflation a serious crime – and they have been vindicated after a German court ruled that the makers of Milka cheated consumers by cutting the bar’s size, while keeping the wrapper the same.
The three-week case in a regional court was brought by Hamburg’s consumer protection office. It accused the chocolate brand’s US owner Mondelēz of deceiving shoppers by cutting the weight of Milka’s classic Alpine Milk bar from 100g to 90g without significantly altering the distinctive purple packaging.
Shrinkflation, where product sizes are reduced but prices stay the same (or even go up), has become all too common as manufacturers try to offset rising business and ingredient costs.
After last year’s changes, the Milka bar was a millimetre thinner and the price increased from €1.49 (£1.29) to €1.99 (£1.72).
Ahead of Christmas, the Guardian revealed widespread shrinkflation in the confectionery aisle. This included lighter boxes of Quality Street and Celebrations, as well as smaller Terry’s Chocolate Oranges. Toblerone – another Mondelēz brand – had also suffered erosion with 20g shaved off its chocolatey peaks, reducing a 360g bar to 340g.
Chocolate has become more expensive because of poor harvests in west Africa, in particular Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire, where more than half of the world’s cocoa beans are harvested. When asked about pack size reductions in the past, Mondelēz has pointed to higher costs, ranging from ingredients such as cocoa and dairy, to energy and transport.
Q&A
What did the German court rule about Milka chocolate bars?
The court ruled that Mondelēz misled consumers by reducing the size of Milka bars without changing the packaging.
How much did the price of the Milka chocolate bar increase after the size reduction?
The price of the Milka chocolate bar increased from €1.49 to €1.99 after the size reduction.
What is shrinkflation and how does it affect consumers?
Shrinkflation is the practice of reducing product sizes while keeping prices the same or increasing them, which can mislead consumers about the value they receive.
