A German court has ruled against chocolate manufacturer Mondelēz International in a landmark case involving “shrinkflation”, stating that consumers were misled after the size of Milka chocolate bars was reduced without noticeable packaging changes.
The case focused on Milka’s popular Alpenmilch chocolate bar, whose weight was reduced from 100g to 90g while largely retaining the same purple wrapper design.
Court says consumers were misled
The case was filed by Hamburg’s consumer protection office, which accused Mondelēz of deceiving customers through misleading packaging practices.
The Bremen regional court ruled that although the packaging technically mentioned the reduced weight, consumers were still likely to believe they were purchasing the original-sized product because of the unchanged appearance.
According to the court, the company failed to provide a “clear, understandable and easily perceptible” notice about the reduction on the wrapper itself.
The judgment stated that the issue was not the packaging alone, but the gap between the actual contents and the visual expectations built over many years.
Chocolate prices and cocoa costs rising
Mondelēz defended its decision by citing rising cocoa prices and increasing supply chain costs. The company said it had informed consumers about the changes through social media and its website.
The price of the chocolate bar reportedly increased from €1.49 to €1.99 even after the reduction in weight.
Consumer groups in Germany had earlier named the Alpenmilch bar the “rip-off packaging of the year 2025”.
Shrinkflation concerns growing globally
The case has reignited global conversations around shrinkflation — a practice where companies reduce product quantity while keeping prices and packaging largely unchanged.
Apart from chocolates, products such as toothpaste, oats, and instant coffee have also reportedly seen similar reductions in quantity.
The ruling is not yet final, and Mondelēz has one month to appeal against the decision.