Particle.news
Download on the App Store

German Watchdog Puts 'Shrinkflation' to a Vote as Milka Faces Lawsuit

An online ballot runs until January 20 after the Hamburg consumer group documented 77 shrinkflation cases last year with an average hidden price rise of 28.4%.

Overview

  • Verbraucherzentrale Hamburg shortlisted five products for “Mogelpackung des Jahres 2025” and invites consumers to choose the winner online through January 20.
  • Milka bars shrank from 100 g to 90 g as the shelf price rose from €1.49 to €1.99, with display cartons often covering the new weight on the front label; the watchdog has filed a deception lawsuit against parent company Mondelez.
  • Dr. Oetker’s Käse-Streusel baking mix was repackaged with contents cut from about 730 g to 370 g, which the watchdog calculates as nearly a 90% hidden price increase.
  • Kölln’s XXL chocolate oat muesli dropped from 1,700 g to 1,050 g despite only a nominal price cut, which the watchdog deems a hidden rise of roughly 30%.
  • Knorr’s Penne Pomodoro‑Mozzarella rose to €1.99 while contents increased modestly to 181 g, assessed as a 29% hidden hike, and Jacobs 3in1 coffee sticks fell from 18 g to 12 g per stick with a price uptick to €2.79, a 56% increase per unit.