The Hamburg Consumer Center has filed a lawsuit against Mondelez's practice of reducing the weight of Milka chocolate bars from 100 to 90 grams by using the same packaging. The Center considered this as misleading customers and unfair competition. The court in Bremen accepted the lawsuit on Wednesday, NDR.de reports. It ruled that reduced size chocolate could not be sold if the 100 gram pack had been offered for the previous four months.
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The manufacturer reduced the weight of Milka chocolate. He wanted to reduce costs
In early 2025, Mondelez increased the price and reduced the thickness of the Milka Alpine Milk chocolate bar. The weight of the tablet dropped from 100 to 90 grams and the price increased shortly before. The packaging remains unchanged.
Now the court has required the manufacturer to include appropriate information on the packaging. He justified his decision by saying that consumers were already accustomed to well-known packaging and expected a specific product weight. They were not informed about the reduction.
Confectionery manufacturer Mondelez stated that it accepted the decision and intended to analyze in detail the justification for the judgment. The company previously argued that it informed customers about the changes via its website and social media. However, this was not enough, because there were no notes on the packaging.
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The company explained its decisions by a sharp increase in cocoa costs and problems in supply chains. “In recent years, we have decided to adjust the weight of several Milka bars,” the manufacturer said, quoted by Reuters.
The court's judgment is not final and Mondelez has one month to appeal to the court
