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Birmingham chocolate giant Cadbury switched some production of its iconic Dairy Milk bar from Bournville to Poland last year, it has emerged.

The company confirmed the move had taken place – but insisted the change lasted for just four months and was a temporary measure.

Cadbury’s US owner, Mondelez, moved manufacture of the 95g Dairy Milk bar to its site in Wroclaw, Poland , to allow factory line improvements to take place at Bournville.

But the company, owned by food giant Kraft, also confirmed the new 300g bar was not being made in Birmingham as the site was “too busy making other products”.

A member of the founding Cadbury family, James Cadbury, earlier told of his sadness at the revelations.

He told the Mail on Sunday: “I’m very disappointed.

“Bournville and Dairy Milk are synonymous.’

Mondelez has seven factories in Poland, including the largest Skarbimierz, which produces the Crunchie, Double Decker, Curly Wurly, Chomp, Fudge and Picnic.

Cadbury has been producing chocolate in Eastern Europe for the past 20 years, but the iconic Dairy Milk has always been associated with production in the UK.

Mondelez defended the move and said it was a temporary measure as the company made a £75 million investment in the Birmingham site.

The 95g bar is now being made at Bournville once more.

A Mondelez spokeswoman told the Mail: “We would like to reassure consumers that any claims that Bournville is no longer at the heart of Cadbury production are wholly untrue.

“We continue to make all the classic Cadbury Dairy Milk bars here, except for a small number of bars that have never been made in Bournville.

“In fact, we have invested £75 million at the site so we can increase the amount of chocolate we make here in the UK and secure the future of manufacturing at Bournville for the next generation.

“The 300g bar is a new size for the UK launched just six months ago.

“It simply hasn’t been possible to make this bar in Bournville because the factory is just too busy making our other Cadbury products, including the classic Cadbury Dairy Milk range, Wispa, Roses, Heroes, Cadbury Creme Egg and many more.”