Milka chocolate bars were recently reduced from 100 to 90 grams - but the packaging remained the same. Consumer advocates believe this is deceptive packaging and have now filed a lawsuit against the manufacturer Mondelez at Bremen Regional Court.
According to the consumer advice centre Verbraucherzentral Hamburg, many consumers assume that the table they are used to is unchanged. However, they actually receive less chocolate for the same or even higher price.
From the consumer advocates„ point of view, the difference is barely recognisable for shoppers: the bars are only around one millimetre thinner, while the reference to the lower weight is small on the front - and is often concealed on the shelf. “A tiny number label, which is also hidden by cardboard flaps, is not enough. Anyone offering fewer products in the same packaging must clearly and conspicuously point this out," emphasises Armin Valet, food expert at the consumer advice centre. The consumer advocates now want to enforce before the Bremen Regional Court that such Changes clearly and conspicuously labelled writes the Süddeutsche Zeitung.
Political measures required
In addition the consumer advice centre calls for political measures: Manufacturers should be obliged to place a warning on shrinking pack contents for at least six months. The size of the packaging must also be adapted to the reduced content.
Mondelez rejects the accusations. The weight was clearly stated on the packs, which Customers informed via social media and published an overview of all flavours and filling quantities on the Milka website, according to a company spokeswoman.
The dispute highlights a structural problem: the Hamburg consumer protection organisation already has a list of over 1,000 so-called „cheat packs“ - many of which come from the food industry.
