Same size, less content
Consumer Minister wants to ban deceptive packaging
September 16, 2023, 12:18 p.m
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According to plans from the Greens and the SPD, hidden price increases due to less content in the same package size will no longer be permitted in the future. However, the FDP insists on the freedom of manufacturers.
Consumer Protection Minister Steffi Lemke wants to take action against hidden price increases in retail. “Deceptive packaging is a big nuisance; consumers are being misled,” said the Green politician to the “Handelsblatt”. “I would like to put a stop to that.” There should be corresponding requirements as part of the amendment to the Packaging Act.
According to Lemke, in the future it should be clearly regulated “that packages of the same size with reduced contents are not permitted.” The same applies if the contents remain the same and the packaging is enlarged. “Such practices are problematic from both a consumer protection and waste avoidance perspective,” emphasized Lemke.
A bill is currently being voted on within the government’s internal departments. The SPD consumer politician Carstenträger called the proposed change in the law a “necessary step for environmental and consumer protection”. It is made clear “that less filling quantity is not permitted for the same packaging size,” saidträger to the “Handelsblatt”.
FDP rejects ban on shrinkage
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The FDP consumer politician Katharina Willkomm opposed the coalition partner’s legislative plans. “In a free market economy, manufacturers are free to determine the price of their goods and the size of the packaging or to change both,” Willkomm told the newspaper. “There is no need for a legal ban on shrinkage.”
In addition, there is sufficient social control through negative prices such as the “deceptive package of the year” from consumer advice centers, said the FDP politician. “Consumers who feel fooled by the product should consistently change brands the next time they shop.”