A landmark ruling in a German court may finally spell the end of 'shrinkflation', after it ruled that a popular chocolate bar manufacturer cheated consumers by making its products 1mm thinner. As manufacturing costs for all manner of consumer goods—including chocolates, soaps, and even digital storage—have risen over the last few years, companies have often resorted to a practice that British consumer group Which? has described as a 'sneaky' tactic.
What is Shrinkflation?
'Shrinkflation' is the attempt to reduce the size of a product while maintaining or increasing its price to keep profit margins up. The Bremen regional court today ruled that global confectionery firm Mondelēz's choice to cut down on the amount of chocolate in each bar of Milka's Alpine Bar while having the same kind of wrapper meant customers were being misled.
The Case Against Mondelēz
The case, brought to court by Hamburg's consumer protection office (VZHH), accused the snacking giant of tricking customers by slashing the weight of the 'Alpenmilch' bar from 100g to 90g. Despite this significant reduction in weight, there was no noticeable change in the wrapper. Milka's new chocolate bar was a millimetre thinner, but prices went up from €1.49 (£1.30) to €1.99 (£1.70) at the beginning of 2025. The change was so egregious that last year, Germans voted the Alpenmilch bar 'rip-off packaging of the year 2025.'
Mondelēz's Defense
Mondelēz claimed it had properly informed German consumers about the change to its bars on its social media and website, and said rising costs were due to changes in its supply chain: 'As a consequence in the last years we decided to adjust the weight of several Milka-bars.' It also said that the reduced weight was clearly visible on the bars' packaging, with a lawyer adding that chocolate bars in the past would ordinarily fluctuate between 81g and 100g anyway, depending on the product.
The Court's Ruling
But the district court in Bremen ruled that while, in isolation, keeping the wrapping the same was not an issue, the deception lay in the difference between the contents of the bar compared to the 'visually conveyed expectation' of a product long-loved by German consumers. The court said that a 'clear, understandable and easily perceptible notice on the wrapper was necessary' to eliminate this deception. Though the verdict is significant, it is not yet legally binding as Mondelēz has a month to appeal it.
Wider Impact of Shrinkflation
Chocolate prices around the world have increased, owing to an increased cost of cocoa following poor harvests in West Africa. Which? reported that chocolate prices increased an eyewatering 14.6% in the year to August 2025. But other products have suffered the same fate in recent years. In 2023, Mars Inc. reduced the weight of Whiskas cat food by a whopping 15%, while keeping the prices the same. And in 2025, PlayStation reduced the size of the internal storage of the PS5 from 1TB to 825GB without any announcement—again, while keeping the price the same.
The Daily Mail has contacted Mondelēz for comment on the matter.
