Chocolate maker Mondelez International Inc. on Tuesday defended its decision in the U.K. to change the shape of a version of its Toblerone chocolate bar—lengthening the gaps between the chocolate “peaks” that slide out of the brand’s familiar triangular packaging.
Mondelez’s move reduced the weight of one of its bars, typically sold at discount retailers here, to 150 grams from 170 grams.
Around the world earlier this year, the East Hanover, N.J., company reduced the weight of a bigger Toblerone bar to 360 grams from 400 grams, but those longer gaps are less noticeable. The recommended prices for both bars have remained the same.
The company blamed the rising cost of “many ingredients” for forcing the changes. Toblerone is produced in Berne, Switzerland, and exported to more than 120 countries. Mondelez said its production costs jumped in Switzerland due to the significant drop of the euro against the Swiss franc in January 2015. Cocoa prices have also risen steadily over the past three years.
Fans on social media have been quick to voice their displeasure.