Prize up, Size down: Milka wins the “Golden Cream Puff” award

At first glance, the candy aisle in supermarkets looks the same as always: familiar Milka packaging, iconic purple, Alpine flair.

But look closer, and frustration starts to build. The classic Milka Alpine Milk bar has quietly shrunk – while the price has gone up. A combination that consumer advocacy group Foodwatch is now publicly criticizing.

Smaller bar, bigger outrage

More than 58,000 people voted – and the result is clear: Milka has been “awarded” the "Golden Cream Puff", a satirical prize for misleading advertising. The reason? Classic shrinkflation – less product for the same or a higher price.
Mondelez, the US-based company behind Milka, raised the price from 1,49 € to 1,99 € in early 2025 – and shortly afterward reduced the bar size from 100 g to 90 g. That’s an effective price hike of about 48%. At a time of already high grocery prices, this sparked frustration.

What Milka says

The company cites rising raw material and logistics costs – especially for cocoa – and calls the changes a “well-considered measure” to stay competitive. The new weight is listed on the packaging and the website, and consumers were also informed via social media.
But Foodwatch says that’s not enough. They’re calling for clear, front-of-pack labels. They also criticize that Milka’s price increase doesn’t reflect the broader market trend: according to Germany’s Federal Statistical Office, chocolate prices overall rose only about 8% in the same period – much less than Milka’s hike.

Misleading consumers – again

Alongside Milka, 4 other products were nominated: a supposedly traceable smoked salmon, a vegan chocolate bar claiming to promote well-being during menstruation, Rama margarine marketed with “100% natural ingredients” despite containing industrial additives, and a beauty iced tea from Shirin David – all, according to Foodwatch, examples of deceptive marketing.
The “Golden Windbag” was awarded for the 14th time in 2025. Its goal: to spotlight misleading food labeling and increase pressure for greater transparency in the industry.

Lost trust & rising demands

Milka may still be on store shelves, but consumer trust has taken a hit. This case shows: people care not just about price, but about tranparency.

Calls for mandatory, clear labeling are getting louder – and pressure is mounting on both industry and policymakers.

Photo by Tetiana Horielova via Unsplash