Dear Bahlsen,

I am a big fan of your Afrika dark chocolate cookies (or rather, those delicate slices of wafer enrobed in dark continental chocolate). In fact, I once contributed some to a chocolate-lovers gift basket with a note that they were “the world’s best chocolate cookie, bar none.” I truly believe this. And the packaging was so simple – chocolate cookie squares, packed side by side, in a little cardboard tray that slides out of the cubic outer box. Lovely. Elegant!

old Afrika box, product shot from web

But when i went to buy a box the other day, I noticed something had changed. Not just the picture (which had changed on the old box a while back), but the shape of the box. It was strangely bigger – unusual in the current economic climate! But as soon as I picked it up, I heard a little rattle inside that revealed the presence of inner plastic packaging. “Feh!” I thought. “They added extra packaging, I bet there are fewer cookies inside.” And while I can’t be positive, I think the weight has decreased and there are fewer cookies inside.

Newly purchased Afrika box. Notice end of box is no longer square!

Now I shouldn’t begrudge you the need to cut a few corners. But honestly, did you think we would be fooled? I don’t have any old packages so I can’t compare the weights. But even if I’m wrong on that point, at a time when companies right and left are bragging about their eco-consciousness, did it really make sense to add excess packaging? Silly, that’s what it was. And the part of my brain that sat through a very basic operations research workshop eons ago suspects this costs more than what you were doing before. Sigh.

Recently purchased box. Notice excessive inner packaging.

Oh well, at least they taste the same (which, I still concede, is fabulous).

World's best chocolate enrobed wafer slices, bar none!