Bremen, Germany — May 13, 2026
A German court has ruled that Mondelez, the manufacturer of Milka chocolate, cannot sell its reduced 90-gram bars if the larger 100-gram version was available in the same stores within the previous four months.
Court Finds Packaging Misleading
The Bremen Regional Court determined that Mondelez’s decision to shrink many Milka chocolate bars from 100 grams to 90 grams—while keeping the packaging nearly identical—could deceive consumers. The ruling follows a lawsuit filed by the Hamburg Consumer Center (Verbraucherzentrale Hamburg), which accused the company of unfair competition.
During oral arguments three weeks earlier, the presiding judge had signaled skepticism toward Mondelez’s approach. "This is a relative rip-off," the judge said at the time. "The consumer doesn’t recognize any difference."
The court’s decision prohibits Mondelez from introducing the smaller 90-gram bars in stores where the 100-gram version was sold in the preceding four months. The ruling aims to prevent shoppers from unknowingly purchasing a product with 10% less chocolate for what may appear to be the same price.