A recent court ruling in Germany has found Cadbury guilty of deceiving consumers by reducing the size of one of its chocolate bars while keeping the packaging unchanged. The case, brought by Hamburg’s consumer protection office, accused Mondelez, the owner of Cadbury, of lowering the weight of its Milka classic chocolate bar from 100g to 90g without adjusting the packaging significantly.
The thinner Milka chocolate bar was priced at €1.99 (£1.70), up from €1.49 (£1.30), despite being one millimeter slimmer. Mondelez argued that they had informed German consumers about the changes through their website and social media platforms. However, the court ruled that clear notification should have been displayed on the Alpenmilch bar packaging to avoid confusion.
Mondelez is considering the court’s decision, which is subject to appeal within a month. The company emphasized its commitment to transparent communication with its customers. The ruling’s broader implications remain uncertain, but it reflects growing consumer frustration with shrinkflation, where companies reduce product sizes or quantities while maintaining prices.
In a similar case, Mars Wrigley faced criticism for reducing the size of Mars bars by nearly a quarter while keeping prices constant. Manufacturers claim such changes are necessary due to rising production costs, including cocoa prices. Consumer group Which? has highlighted the trend of shrinkflation, citing examples such as toothpaste and heartburn medicine.
Consumers reported instances of shrinkflation in supermarkets, including price increases per unit volume for products like Aquafresh toothpaste and Gaviscon liquid. The trend of reducing product sizes while maintaining prices has sparked concerns among consumers and watchdog groups about fair pricing practices in the market.