Warning sounded by enthusiasts of sweets: regulatory bodies issue alerts about three deceptive candy collections

In recent times, consumers in Germany have been facing challenges when comparing prices due to outdated basic price information in stores. According to the North Rhine-Westphalia Consumer Center, this issue is particularly prevalent in Cremissimo ice cream products, where unlabeled 1.300 milliliter cans make comparison more difficult.

The investigation also uncovered inconsistencies in Milka and Katjes products. While fewer violations were found, basic prices sometimes referred to old packaging sizes or were incorrectly assigned. This phenomenon, known as "shrinkflation," where consumers receive less content for the same or higher price, has been a growing concern.

Unilever, for instance, reduced the packaging sizes of many ice cream sorts from 900 milliliters to 825 milliliters in February 2024, without adjusting the prices. However, in the provided search results, no specific company was directly mentioned as having conducted such an action in February 2024.

Antonia Brandstaedter from the North Rhine-Westphalia Consumer Center explains that hidden price increases like these are a common trick among manufacturers. In about half of the Cremissimo markets, the basic price indication was incorrect, often based on the old fill quantity. Similarly, there were cases where there were several fill quantities and basic prices on one sign for Cremissimo products.

In practice, basic prices are sometimes missing or so small that they are difficult to read. According to the Price Indication Ordinance, basic price indications must be clear, easily recognizable, and clearly legible. Conversely, 900 milliliter packs with prices for 825 milliliters were also found in some markets.

The Hamburg Consumer Center has initiated legal action against the Milka parent company Mondelez, while the North Rhine-Westphalia Consumer Center checked basic price information of 86 products across 19 markets, including Aldi, Lidl, Rewe, and Edeka.

The investigation revealed a "chaos of fill quantities" with Milka bars of 100 grams, 90 grams, or odd values. A sample survey by the North Rhine-Westphalia Consumer Center in 19 markets shows that basic price information for products from "Milka" and "Katjes" is often incorrect.

In contrast to Germany, France has implemented stricter measures. Since July 1, 2024, fill quantity reductions must be labeled at the shelf. However, the responsibility for correct basic price information lies with the retailers.

Consumer complaints regularly show that basic price indications are not consistently implemented in practice. As consumers continue to grapple with these issues, it is crucial for manufacturers and retailers to ensure transparency and adhere to the set regulations for the benefit of the consumers.

Warning sounded by enthusiasts of sweets: regulatory bodies issue alerts about three deceptive candy collections