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Similar product, different price: Mondelez's "Tuc Bake Rolls" are "deceptive package of the year"

Photo: Hamburg Consumer Center

Consumers have awarded the Hamburg Consumer Center's “Deceptive Packaging of the Year” insult to Mondelez's “Tuc Bake Rolls” bread chips.

Of the five finalists, the product received more than half of the votes, the consumer advice center said.

The insulting prize was awarded for the tenth time this year; products were nominated for which consumer advocates speak of hidden price increases.

Most products end up on the list due to consumer complaints, from which the consumer advice center determines the award nominees once a year.

This year, 21,279 consumers took part in the vote in January.

Of these, 54.7 percent of the votes went to Mondelez bread chips.

The reason for the price increase was a brand change at the manufacturer Mondelez: Instead of 7Days, Tuc now produces the bread chips; both brands belong to Mondelez.

The new pack only contains 150 grams instead of the previous 250 grams, but cost 1.89 euros instead of 1.39 euros at Rewe.

The new product costs a whopping 127 percent more.

At the same time, the appearance, recipe and nutritional values ​​of the product have practically not changed, complains the consumer advice center.

(Read here what tricks food companies use to covertly increase prices.)

The decision was made to “bundle snacking expertise more closely among established brands,” writes Mondelez, without going into more detail about the price increase.

We have no influence on dealer pricing.

Rewe referred to increased “producer prices as well as its own costs”.

Oreo popsicles in second place

The Oreo ice cream from Froneri came in second, with 16.8 percent of participants voting for it.

The size of the ice cream has shrunk for the same price, and there are also fewer ice creams in one package.

For the Listerine Total Care mouthwash from Johnson & Johnson (third place with 10.6 percent of the votes), the filling quantity fell and the price rose.

The Chocolat Amandas whole milk chocolate bar from Aldi has become slightly more expensive and has a new pack with less content, and there is also less fine marzipan in the chocolate.

They received 9.9 percent of the votes.

The yoghurt gums from Katjes brought up the rear with 7.9 percent, the content of which shrank (

you can find further information about the products and statements from the manufacturers in the photo gallery

).

By the end of the year, consumer advocates had included 104 products in their list of “deceptive packages,” which was more than ever before.

Food became more expensive last year.

"Although the problem has been known for years, politicians do not protect consumers from companies' tricks," commented Armin Valet from the Hamburg Consumer Center.

He demanded that if the content is reduced, the packaging of a product should also shrink, as stipulated in a key points paper from the Federal Environment Ministry.

Valet also criticized the fact that up to 30 percent air is currently allowed in the pack, and in some cases even more.

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