Shrinkflation' has affected another iconic Cadbury product - and people aren't happy.
It may be a while since you last munched on a Cadbury Animals, but the nostalgic biscuits are still popular amongst children and make the perfect lunchbox treat. Available in most mainstream retailers, the tasty frogs, monkeys, and elephants are covered with Freddo chocolate on one side.
The snacks originally came in a seven-pack but have recently been rebranded to only feature five individual packs . Despite this, they're being sold for the exact same price (£1.25).
Many shoppers expressed their outrage after discovering they would be paying the same price for less food - a term commonly described as 'shrinkflation'. "[Fewer] Animals in the packet for the same price. Why not put the price up a little and keep the contents the same?" one disgruntled Morrisons shopper wrote.
The new product has a one-star rating so far, a jarring contrast from the original biscuits which received thousands of praise online. According to the Sun, parents feel 'cheated' by the smaller multi-packs - with one Dad writing: "Another staple off the food shop, as Cadbury decided not just to increase the price of their Animal biscuits, but also reduce the pack size."
Furious chimp launches bottle at girl filming him leaving her bleeding at zooIn response to the furore, Cadbury pointed to "significantly higher input costs" across their supply chain as ingredients cost more than they previously did. "As a result, we've made the decision to decrease the amount of packs in Cadbury Animals so that we can continue to provide the great taste and quality our fans expect," they added.
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This isn't the only Cadbury product that has been slammed over its price point. Earlier this month, fans noticed the 'shambolic' and 'disgusting' inflation of the beloved Mini Eggs chocolate.
It comes after chocolate lovers discovered a large bag of 1kg Mini Eggs will now set you back a staggering £17.50. Some claimed this is the total cost of their weekly food shop. The 110g Mini Eggs Bar has also increased in Tesco and Morrisons from £1 to £1.25.
A Mondelēz International spokesperson told The Mirror that essential ingredients including sugar and cocoa have become increasingly more expensive, meaning production costs have also spiked. However, Mondelēz - Cadbury's parent company - insists fans don't have to worry about the taste and quality being comprised.
"We understand the economic pressures that consumers continue to face, and raising cost prices is a last resort for our business," the brand said. "However, as a food producer, we are continuing to experience significantly higher input costs across our supply chain, with ingredients such as cocoa and sugar, which are widely used in our products, costing far more than they have done previously."
*It appears the original Cadbury Animals with Freddo are still available from retailers including Sainsbury's and Morrisons online. The Mirror has contacted Cadbury to confirm whether they will be pulled from shelves following the rebrand.
What do you think of the rebrand? Let us know in the comments section below