Cadbury's Dairy Milk Family bar shrinks by one row in Australia but keeps price the same

Parent company Mondelez International have blamed rising production costs

A Cadbury Dairy Milk bar (Rex images)

Australian chocolate fans are up in arms after it was revealed that Cadbury were planning to reduce the size of its family block of dairy milk without reducing the price.

Confectionery fans are outraged with the changes, which will see a family size bar of dairy milk shrink 10 per cent, loosing roughly 20g of chocolate, equivalent to one row of squares.

The chocolate firm, owned by parent company Modelez International, has blamed rising packaging and raw material costs for the decrease.

Managing director of Australasia for the company Andrea Banfield conceded they were prepared for a backlash.

"Clearly any chocolate lover is going to be a bit disappointed," she told Australia’s Sydney Morning Herald.

It is the second time the family bar has been downsized in recent years.

In 2009 the chocolate bar was scaled down to 200g from 250, but the company did increase the size again in 2013 to 220g after a public outcry.

Cadbury are keen to stress that although the recommended price has not changed, they – as producers – do not set the prices. Retailers can still use their discretion to lower prices.

“We know that people will not be happy about getting less chocolate, but we are maintaining what is most important — the taste and quality hasn’t changed,” a Cadbury spokesman told Australian news outlet News.com.au.