"Most Brazen Advertising Lie": Milka Chocolate Receives Golden Windbag

34 percent of participants decided that the negative award "Golden Windbag" should go to the producer Mondelez. They had raised the price of "Milka Alpenmilch" chocolate from 1.49 euros to 1.99 euros and subsequently reduced the quantity from 100 to 90 grams.

Milka Chocolate Prime Example of Shrinkflation

As a result, this was a price increase of 48 percent, as Foodwatch emphasized. "The Milka bar is a prime example of shrinkflation, and that's exactly why consumers voted it the most brazen advertising lie of the year," explained Rebekka Siegmann from Foodwatch. "Hidden price increases are an increasingly popular tactic in the food industry."

Mondelez had explained during the nomination for the negative award that cocoa prices and costs throughout the supply chain had risen massively. Overall, the business environment is "more complex and unstable than ever before." To remain competitive, the company had to take "well-considered measures." The new weight of the bars is indicated on the packaging, and consumers were also informed in online networks.

Foodwatch, on the other hand, criticized that the change in quantity was not clearly indicated: "On the front, it says '90 g' in small print - but you often don't see that on the supermarket shelf thanks to the cardboard flaps." According to the German Federal Statistical Office, chocolate prices rose by around eight percent between early 2024 and 2025 - but Mondelez increased prices by up to 64 percent during this period, Foodwatch emphasized.

"Most Brazen Advertising Lie of the Year": Third Place Also for Chocolate

In second place in the online vote with 21.1 percent of the votes was a Norwegian smoked salmon from the company Fish Tales, which according to Foodwatch comes from a salmon producer where there were animal welfare violations. Additionally, the origin of the salmon cannot be traced back to the individual aquafarm as advertised. In third place in the race for the Golden Windbag was the chocolate bar "Menstru Chocbar" from the company Innonature. "With iron, red maca, and vitamin B6, it is supposed to contribute to well-being during menstruation, although this has not been proven for any of the three ingredients," criticized Foodwatch. 17.8 percent of the voting participants considered this the most brazen advertising lie.

In fourth and fifth places followed the Rama margarine from the Flora Food Group and the iced tea Dirtea Glow from rapper Shirin David. Foodwatch criticized the margarine for being advertised with the claim "100 percent natural ingredients," although it is full of "additives and industrially produced ingredients." Shirin David advertised her iced tea with a visible glow effect for "beautiful skin and nails." Foodwatch awarded the Golden Windbag for the 14th time. The consumer organization has long been committed to fighting misleading labeling and calls for improved labeling rules. More than 58,000 votes were cast in this year's online poll.

(APA/Red)

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