Fazer is shrinking its chocolate bars. Photo: Emmi Korhonen / Lehtikuva
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Fazer will reduce the size of several of its signature chocolate bars, including the well-known “Fazer Blue”, as raw material and production costs continue to rise.
From late August, several bars that were previously 200 grams will now weigh 180 grams. The adjustment will apply to the company’s milk chocolate, dark chocolate, white milk chocolate, Avec, and baking chocolate products.
The company confirmed the change in a statement on Monday, attributing the decision to cost pressures. “Costs related to raw materials and production have increased significantly. Reducing product size is one way to manage the impact of those rising costs,” said Liisa Eerola, Communications Director at Fazer Confectionery, in an email.
The move follows a global surge in cocoa prices earlier this year. West Africa, the world’s largest cocoa-producing region, has experienced extreme weather that disrupted harvests and supply chains. The result has been a sharp increase in global cocoa costs, affecting chocolate manufacturers across the industry.
Fazer said that while the bar sizes are changing, the recipes and moulds will remain the same. Consumer pricing will be determined by retailers.
Fazer has already launched new chocolate products this year in smaller formats, including 95-gram bars. Eerola said the transition to 180 grams will help standardise the company’s large chocolate bar range, with the exception of the Karl Fazer Whole Hazelnut bar, which will remain in its current format.
The packaging change will be rolled out gradually in shops from late August.
The announcement follows a similar step by competitor Mondelez Finland, which earlier this year reduced the size of its Marabou chocolate bars. Those changes saw 185–200 gram bars reduced to 160 grams, and 100 gram bars cut to 90 grams.
At the time, Niklas Lilius, CEO of Mondelez Finland, said the shrinking size was the most balanced option available. “We understand that a smaller package size may not be popular with consumers. But when the alternatives are significant price increases, compromises in quality, or adjusting the package size, we believe this is the most reasonable solution,” he said in a statement.
Fazer’s latest changes reflect broader pressures in the global confectionery sector, where manufacturers face difficult choices in maintaining product quality while absorbing volatile ingredient costs.
HT
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Source: www.helsinkitimes.fi
