A German court has delivered a significant ruling against Mondelēz, the manufacturer of the popular Milka Alpine Milk chocolate bar, finding that the company misled consumers through a practice commonly known as “shrinkflation.” The Bremen regional court determined that reducing the chocolate bar’s weight from 100 grams to 90 grams while retaining a largely identical wrapper constituted consumer deception and violated competition law. This landmark case was initiated by Hamburg’s consumer protection office (VZHH), which accused Mondelēz of intentionally deceiving its customers. Following the verdict, Mondelēz stated it is taking the court’s decision seriously and plans to examine it in detail.

The court’s decision highlighted that the deception stemmed from the incongruity between the actual contents and the “visually conveyed expectation” that consumers had developed over years of familiarity with the product. Despite Mondelēz’s claim of informing German consumers about the change via its website and social media, and citing rising supply chain costs—particularly soaring cocoa prices due to poor harvests in West Africa—the court deemed this insufficient. It concluded that a “clear, understandable and easily perceptible notice on the wrapper was necessary” to prevent such misleading practices. The price of the reduced bar also saw a considerable increase, jumping from €1.49 to €1.99 in early 2025, further fueling consumer discontent, which culminated in the Milka Alpenmilch bar being voted “rip-off packaging of the year 2025” by consumers.

This ruling underscores a broader struggle against shrinkflation, a global phenomenon where manufacturers reduce product size or content to maintain price points amidst escalating production costs. The issue extends beyond chocolate, affecting various consumer goods like toothpaste, oats, and instant coffee. Another prominent German chocolate brand, Ritter Sport, also adjusted the weight of some of its varieties from 100g to 75g. However, Ritter Sport differentiated its approach by noticeably changing the packaging and marketing these lighter bars as a new range, while keeping the price stable. Despite these efforts, some Ritter Sport products still appear on the VZHH’s list of “rip-off packaging,” which included 77 new additions in 2025 alone. The court’s verdict, while not yet legally binding and open to appeal for a month, is considered significant due to the “risk of repetition” in the market.