Court Rules That Mondelēz Misled Consumers by Reducing Product Size

May 13, 2026, 18:17

Introduction

A regional court in Germany has ruled that the chocolate manufacturer Mondelēz deceived customers by reducing the weight of Milka chocolate bars while keeping the packaging looking the same.

Main Body

The legal action was started by the Hamburg consumer protection office. They claimed that reducing the Milka Alpine Milk bar from 100g to 90g, while increasing the price from €1.49 to €1.99, was a deceptive practice. This trend is known as 'shrinkflation,' which happens when a company reduces the amount of a product but keeps the price the same or increases it. The court decided that keeping the famous purple packaging without clearly stating the weight change was not transparent enough for consumers. Mondelēz argued that these changes were caused by external economic pressures, especially the rising cost of raw materials. The company pointed to poor harvests in Côte d’Ivoire and Ghana, which produce more than 50% of the world's cocoa, as well as higher energy and transport costs. Although the company asserted that they shared this information on social media and digital platforms, the court concluded that a physical notice on the packaging for at least four months was necessary to prevent customer confusion. This is not the first time the company has used such strategies. For example, Mondelēz changed the shape of Toblerone bars in 2016 to reduce their volume, though they reversed this decision in 2018. Furthermore, evidence shows a wider trend in the confectionery industry where brands like Quality Street and Celebrations have also reduced their sizes to deal with the unstable cocoa supply.

Conclusion

The court has ordered the company to provide a clear notification period, although Mondelēz has thirty days to file an appeal.

Learning

⚡ The "B2 Leap": Mastering Causality

To move from A2 (simple sentences) to B2 (complex arguments), you must stop using because for everything. In this text, we see how professional English explains why things happen using more sophisticated structures.

🛠️ From Basic to Advanced

A2 Style (Simple): "The cost of materials went up, so the company reduced the chocolate size."

B2 Style (Analytical): "These changes were caused by external economic pressures..."

The Secret: Instead of just saying "A happened, so B happened," use Passive Causality. This shifts the focus from the person to the situation, making you sound more objective and academic.

🔍 Linguistic Breakdown

Observe these three ways the article connects causes and effects:

The Passive Link: "Changes were caused by..." $\rightarrow$ Formula: [Effect] + [be] + [caused by] + [Reason].
The Purpose Connector: "...to prevent customer confusion." $\rightarrow$ Don't just say "so customers don't get confused." Use to + verb to show a professional intention.
The Justification Verb: "Mondelēz argued that..." $\rightarrow$ In B2 English, we don't just "say" things. We argue, assert, or claim. This tells the reader that the information is an opinion or a legal defense, not necessarily a fact.

🚀 Quick Upgrade Table

Instead of (A2)	Try this (B2)	Example from Text
Because of	Due to / Caused by	"...caused by external economic pressures"
Said	Asserted / Claimed	"...the company asserted that..."
To stop	To prevent	"...to prevent customer confusion"

Vocabulary Learning

deceived (v.)

to trick or mislead someone into believing something false

Example:The company deceived its customers by hiding the weight reduction.

deceptive (adj.)

tricking; misleading

Example:The deceptive packaging made it hard to notice the change.

shrinkflation (n.)

the practice of reducing product size while keeping the price the same or higher

Example:Shrinkflation has become a common tactic in the food industry.

transparent (adj.)

easy to see through; clear and open

Example:The court said the packaging was not transparent enough.

external (adj.)

coming from outside

Example:External economic pressures forced the company to cut costs.

economic (adj.)

related to the economy

Example:Economic downturns can lead to price hikes.

pressures (n.)

forces or demands that push someone to act

Example:The company faced pressures to reduce production costs.

rising (adj.)

increasing in level or amount

Example:Rising raw material costs made the company adjust prices.

raw materials (n.)

basic materials used in production

Example:The cost of raw materials has surged.

harvests (n.)

the act of gathering crops

Example:Poor harvests in West Africa affected cocoa supply.

energy (n.)

power or electricity used for work

Example:Higher energy costs increased overall expenses.

transport (n.)

moving goods from one place to another

Example:Transport costs were a significant part of the budget.

physical (adj.)

concrete, tangible, not virtual

Example:A physical notice on the packaging was required.

confusion (n.)

lack of clarity or certainty

Example:The packaging caused consumer confusion.

appeal (n.)

a formal request to a higher authority for a decision to be reconsidered

Example:The company has thirty days to file an appeal.