German Court Rules Milka Shrinkflation Misled Chocolate Buyers
BBC Business reported Tuesday that a regional court in Bremen has found Mondelez International, the maker of Milka chocolate, guilty of misleading consumers through shrinkflation, in a landmark German consumer protection case.
Bremen Court Finds Milka Shrinkflation Deceptive
The case was brought by Hamburg’s consumer watchdog, the VZHH, which accused Mondelez of quietly reducing the weight of its Alpenmilch bar from 100 grams to 90 grams. The bar’s familiar purple wrapper remained virtually unchanged. The price simultaneously rose from roughly €1.49 to €1.99 at the start of 2025.
The court found that retaining near-identical packaging was not itself the violation. The problem was the gap between what shoppers visually expected and what they actually received. Judges said a “clear, understandable and easily perceptible” notice on the wrapper was required to avoid deception. The ruling also flagged a risk of the practice being repeated by the company.
Mondelez told BBC Business it was taking the decision seriously and would examine it in detail. During proceedings, the company’s legal team argued that online and social media disclosures were sufficient notice. Lawyers also pointed out that bar weights had historically varied across a range of sizes.
Background: A Growing Battle Over Shrinking Products
Shrinkflation describes manufacturers cutting product volume while holding prices steady or raising them. Consumer group Which? in the UK has labelled it a “sneaky” tactic. Chocolate has been a particular flashpoint, with Which? recording a 14.6% price rise in the category in the year to August 2025. Soaring cocoa costs, driven by poor harvests across West Africa, have squeezed producers globally.
German consumers had already registered their frustration. Last year they voted the Alpenmilch bar “rip-off packaging of 2025.” The VZHH added 77 products to its annual rip-off list in 2025 alone, spanning toothpaste, oats, and instant coffee.
Also Read: Why Your Chocolate Is Getting Smaller, More Expensive and Less Chocolatey
Ritter Sport Also Faces Scrutiny
Milka is not the only iconic German chocolate brand under pressure. Ritter Sport reduced three of its varieties from 100 grams to 75 grams in early May 2026. The bars appear the same size but are noticeably thinner. Ritter Sport changed its packaging more visibly and positioned the lighter products as a new range, keeping prices flat. The company has said shoppers prefer the slimmer format. Despite that framing, the VZHH placed several Ritter Sport products on its rip-off packaging list.
The Bremen verdict against Mondelez is not yet final. The company has one month to lodge an appeal.
