Cadbury Creme Egg recipe change angers chocolate lovers

The manufacturers of Cadbury Creme Eggs are facing a consumer backlash after a change to the recipe prompted outrage worldwide.

Kraft has quietly replaced the eggs' shell with a standard cocoa mix. It was previously made with Dairy Milk chocolate.

Fairfax Media contacted Cadbury Australia, who said the recipe changes would extend to local stock.

"The fundamentals of the Cadbury Crème Egg remain exactly the same – delicious milk chocolate and the unique crème centre that consumers love," Cadbury Australia said in a statement.

"We have always used a range of milk chocolate blends for different products, depending on their shape or consistency. Cadbury Crème Egg now uses a standard, traditional Cadbury milk chocolate for its shell."

After the recipe change was exposed in the UK by The Sun, Crème Egg enthusiasts took to Twitter to express their upset.

UK fans were also upset by the change in packaging, with the eggs now sold in boxes of five instead of six. No changes have been announced for the eggs' packaging in Australia.

It's not the first time Kraft has been criticised for their management of Cadbury's products. Consumers were similarly incensed when the company stopped producing chocolate coins last year.