A German court has ruled against the 'shrinkflation' tactic, which involves reducing the size of a product while maintaining or increasing its price, to keep profit margins up. The ruling may pave the way for the end of this practice, as it found that a popular chocolate bar manufacturer misled consumers by making its products thinner while keeping the same wrapper.
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.
'Shrinkflation' is the attempt to reduce the size of a product, while also maintaining or increasing its price, to keep profit margins up. But 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, 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 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, a German court has ruled. 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. 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. 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
Shrinkflation German Court Chocolate Bar Manufacturer Consumer Protection Office Consumer Group Which? Mars Inc. Whiskas Cat Food Playstation Internal Storage Of The PS5 Chocolate Prices Cocoa Poor Harvests In West Africa Manufacturing Costs Profit Margins Consumer Expectation Visually Conveyed Expectation Clear Understandable And Easily Perceptible Notice On Th
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Understanding High Cholesterol and Finding a Natural Way to Lower ItThe article discusses the author's realization that cholesterol can increase even with a healthy lifestyle, prompting them to explore alternative ways to lower it. They tried plant-derived stanols or sterols, a type of cholesterol-like compound found in certain foods, but found them too processed to continue. Later, they researched oats and found that a study at a German university showed that eating nothing but oats for 48 hours lowered 'bad' cholesterol by 10%. The author then developed a milder approach to incorporate these cholesterol-lowering foods into their diet.
Read more »
Audi’s New Q9 Is So Luxurious You Might Never Touch A Door HandleGerman brand gives us a look at the interior of its first ever large, full-size SUV
Read more »
Hantavirus outbreak threat mounts as Dutch and German passengers die on cruise ship MV HondiusThe world is on high alert for the first generation-three cases of hantavirus, with experts warning that cruise passengers might pass the deadly virus to the general public. Recent developments in Spain and France raise concerns that the virus could spread beyond the confines of the ship.
Read more »
Germany's Turkish diaspora raises alarm over rising far-right violence as AfD gains momentumIncreasingly hostile climate towards immigrants and rising attacks in eastern German states are fueling concerns among migrant communities about their safety.
Read more »