Biscuit giant McVitie's has slashed the number of Jaffa Cakes sold in each packet, triggering a wave of complaints from confectionery lovers on social media.

A spokesperson for McVitie's, which is owned by United Biscuits, confirmed that the number of Jaffa Cakes in some boxes was being cut from 12 to 10, reducing the overall weight of the packet from 146.4 grams to 122 grams.

Some retailers have reportedly not lowered the price of the whole packet at check-out though, meaning that the cost when calculated per biscuit has risen.

The news will deal a blow to chocolate lovers who have this year already been forced to stomach a rise in the price of other sweets, predominantly as a result of a slump in the pound against the dollar since last year’s Brexit referendum, combined with a rise in the cost of some commodities.

Confectionery giant Mondelez last year announced that it was increasing the gap between the peaks of its Toblerone bars. The price of Cadbury’s Freddo bars has been bumped up too, and Haribo has recently upped the price of some of its best-known lines.

Official data over the summer showed that more than 2,500 products had decreased in size over the last five years, with most of the cuts across sweet snacks and drink cartons.

McVitie's said that while it can control the size of products, and can recommend a retail price, it’s ultimately up to retailers to decide how much they charge customers.