Cadbury Dairy Milk new shape bar

Mondelez has defended changes to the shape of the Cadbury Dairy Milk bar

Mondelez marketing director Matthew Williams has rubbished reports the company is facing a revolt over the ‘new’ Cadbury Dairy Milk it introduced a year ago.

Claims that the recipe of Britain’s best-selling chocolate brand has been changed – made on Mumsnet and reported in today’s Daily Telegraph – are entirely without foundation, he said.

“We changed the shape of Cadbury Dairy Milk last August and the new shape was in stores last September – we haven’t changed the recipe,” he told The Grocer.

The newer Dairy Milk is divided into curved segments, rather than the classic rectangular shape. The Telegraph reported today that critics say the changes amount to “cultural vandalism”.

But Williams is unrepentant. “The shape of the product does affect the taste. That’s why we changed it,” he said. “Your mouth is not square so why should the chocolate be? Now it tastes even better.”

Dairy Milk’s sales have increased 14.4% on volumes up 6.5% over the past year [IRI 52 w/e 20 July 2013].