The Regional Court in Bremen ruled on Wednesday that new Milka chocolate bars, which contain less product but are housed in packaging that looks nearly identical to the old versions, violate competition law.
The lawsuit was filed by the Consumer Center Hamburg, which criticized the practice after finding that the 90-gram bars maintained the same packaging design as the original 100-gram versions. The consumer advocates argued that while Mondelez reduced the chocolate content, the diminished filling was not clearly signaled. Furthermore, even though the new weight is listed on the front of the package, the Center notes that this detail is frequently obscured by price tags displayed on supermarket shelves.
While Mondelez has the option to appeal the verdict, making it not yet legally binding, the Consumer Center Hamburg directed its recommendations toward the federal government. The group stated that it believes manufacturers should be required by law to adhere to mandatory guidelines when package contents decline. They specifically demanded a warning notice for products with reduced filling for a minimum of six months, and that the packaging size itself must shrink commensurately. According to the Consumer Center, companies like Mondelez are currently exploiting a legal gap.
