Cadbury New Zealand draws criticism over chocolate ‘shrinkflation’

Cadbury has confirmed that its customers in New Zealand will be facing the prospect of smaller ‘family blocks’ of chocolate, with the firm citing rising ingredients costs.

The company posted a note on its Facebook page that outlined the move that will come into effect in March – which follows a number of incidents of so-called ‘shrinkflation’ of confectionery in the UK.

Consumers were quick to voice their opinion on social media, with many questioning whether the move could be justified if the price were to remain the same.

The move has led to Facebook page demanding a boycott of the company’s products.
Cadbury responded that it was examining the issue as a result of its move to shrink its bars. It also confirmed that no palm oil is used in production of its Dairy Milk bars, which had been claimed by some consumers posting on its website.

In its Facebook statement, Cadbury said: “We’re committed to delivering the best possible Cadbury chocolate to you at the best possible price. Unfortunately, over the last few years, we’ve seen costs go up.
Rather than raising the recommended retail price, we’ve made the call to reduce the size of our Cadbury family blocks so that they can continue to be an affordable treat.”

One of the most prominent recent British cases of shrinkflation in the UK came with Mondelez International’s decision to reduce its iconic Toblerone bars from 170g to 150g, through spreading out the distinctive peaks of the chocolate.

The company has since responded with re-introducing a larger format bar, though has increased its retail price correspondingly.

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