German Court Rules Milka Chocolate Bar Shrinkflation Deceived Consumers
A regional court in Bremen, Germany, has ruled that Mondelēz, the manufacturer of Milka's Alpine Milk chocolate bar, cheated consumers and breached competition law through its 'shrinkflation' practices. The court determined that reducing the product's weight from 100g to 90g while retaining the original wrapper misled customers, creating a discrepancy between the product's actual content and the “visually conveyed expectation”.
The Hamburg consumer protection office (VZHH) brought the case, alleging consumer deception. Mondelēz stated it was “taking the decision of the court seriously” and would “look at it in detail”. The company had previously cited rising supply chain costs as a reason for adjusting bar weights and claimed it informed consumers via its website and social media.
Despite Mondelēz's arguments, German consumers voted the Milka Alpenmilch bar “rip-off packaging of the year 2025” after the price increased from €1.49 to €1.99 at the beginning of 2025, with only a millimetre reduction in thickness, making the change in weight visually imperceptible on the familiar purple wrapping.
The court emphasised that a “clear, understandable and easily perceptible notice on the wrapper was necessary” to counter the deception. While not yet legally binding, with Mondelēz having a month to appeal, the ruling is considered significant due to the “risk of repetition” in similar cases.
Shrinkflation is a widespread practice, with consumer groups documenting its application across numerous products beyond chocolate. In the UK, consumer group Which? has labelled such tactics as “sneaky”, noting that chocolate prices surged by 14.6% in the year to August 2025, driven by global cocoa cost increases following poor harvests in West Africa.
Another German brand, Ritter Sport, has also faced scrutiny for altering the weight of some of its iconic square chocolate bars from 100g to 75g, while maintaining their apparent size. Although Ritter Sport updated its packaging and marketed the lighter bars as a new range, they remain on the Hamburg VZHH's list of “rip-off packaging”.
