A German court has ruled that Mondelez, the US owner of Milka, deceived consumers by reducing the weight of its classic Alpine Milk chocolate bar from 100g to 90g while keeping the packaging largely unchanged. The ruling, issued by a regional court in Bremen, came after a case brought by Hamburg's consumer protection office.
The court found that Mondelez failed to adequately inform shoppers about the size reduction, which also saw the price rise from €1.49 to €1.99. The bar became a millimetre thinner. Shrinkflation, where product sizes shrink but prices stay the same or increase, has become common as manufacturers face rising costs for ingredients, energy, and transport.
Mondelez argued it had communicated the change via its website and social media, but a German poll named the Milka bar 'rip-off packaging of the year 2025'. The court said a clear notice should have been included on the packaging for at least four months to allow consumers to notice the change.
The ruling is not final, with Mondelez having one month to appeal. The company said it was examining the decision and aimed to communicate transparently. This is not the first time Mondelez has faced backlash over shrinking chocolate bars; in 2016, it widened gaps in Toblerone bars instead of raising prices, later reverting to the original shape.
