Mondelez Appeals Bremen Ruling That Called Milka Bars a 'Mogelpackung'

Overview

• Mondelez filed an appeal on Wednesday, moving the dispute over Milka bars to the Hanseatisches Oberlandesgericht Bremen and delaying enforcement of the Bremen court's ban.
• A May first-instance ruling said many Milka 100g bars were reduced to 90g while keeping almost identical outer packaging and therefore amounted to a 'relative Mogelpackung' that must be clearly labeled.
• The Verbraucherzentrale Hamburg brought the suit under unfair-competition rules, arguing shoppers are misled at the shelf when packaging gives the impression of unchanged volume.
• Mondelez disputes the claim and says the new 90g weight is clearly printed on the front and back of the wrapper, while consumer groups note some countries already require explicit shrinkage notices.
• The appeal outcome could set a binding precedent in Germany on how shrinkflation must be disclosed, and consumer groups and retailers are watching closely though no appellate hearing date has been set.