A change in the design of the iconic Toblerone chocolate triangle has drawn sharp criticism from consumers in the United Kingdom, BBC reported. Under the new design, the space between two triangles in the chocolate has been increased, with United States-based manufacturer Mondelez International saying the move has reduced the weight of its 170-gram and 400-gram bars to 360 grams and 150 grams.
The move was implemented to keep manufacturing costs low, the company said in a statement on Facebook. The decision was made after a debate on whether to change the design or raise the price of the chocolate bars, the company said. “We chose to change the shape to keep the product affordable for our customers,” the statement said, adding that it had reduced the weight of “just two of our bars in the UK, from the wider range of available Toblerone products”.
However, some customers said the move was an “underhanded” one and the result of a “wrong decision”. One consumer said the company could have retained the original shape and reduced the length of the bars themselves to keep costs low. But other customers praised the company for making a public announcement rather than not issuing a comment on the matter.
A company spokesperson later denied that the change in design was influenced by higher costs caused by Britain’s decision to exit the European Union, even as she acknowledged that foreign exchange rates were currently “not favourable”. She was also unable to clarify whether the change in shape only affected bars in the UK and not in other countries.
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