A lot of it is to do with food production price rises. The cost of cocoa has risen enormously recently, this summer was rubbish for potato crops, also th price of wheat increased a few years ago because of a poor crop so the price of pasta etc. went up. The price of bread will rise occasionally because of the quality of the wheat crop in the UK too, I go to a site that does all the UK bakery testing for wheat, very interesting stuff! So manufacturers, and brand owners, in order to keep the price the same have made pack sizes smaller. I know it's arse about face, and makes people feel like they're getting a raw deal, but the alternative is the same pack size but much higher prices, reduces consumer choice too. I suspect the chocolate thing is also to do with the obesity crisis faced by the UK. For example, in the US they've made 32oz soft drink portions illegal in some states. You can still buy two 16oz cups though...should you feel the wish to drink more fluid than your stomach can cope with. The real issue, IMHO, is the major retailers who squeeze their supply base to such an extent that any profit they might get is wiped out, but Mr Tesco et al get richer and richer.