SHRINKING Freddo frogs are hitting shelves in a move that could leave chocolate lovers hopping mad.

Cadbury has shaved 20 per cent off Freddo — but the recommended retail price has not dropped.

The basic treat is 12g, trimmed from 15g. Two years ago, main variety Freddos were 20g.

Cadbury’s global parent company, Mondelez, blamed higher costs. It does not set retail prices.

“We’re making a change to the size of the product because of manufacturing cost increases that we can no longer absorb,” spokesman Julian Polachek said.

A sharp-eyed shop owner tipped off the Herald Sun to the latest reduction.

He noticed the lighter weight on plain frog labels when a fresh batch recently arrived.

“We were not notified and our wholesale cost did not change.” he said.

The slimmer Freddo coincides with Cadbury’s chopped Dairy Milk family chocolate blocks.

It announced in February a standard block would drop from 220g to 200g.