The speaker warns about a growing trend in the food industry known as "shrinkflation." This is a practice where food companies deceitfully reduce the amount of food in a product while maintaining the same price, essentially stealing money from consumers without them realizing it. The speaker provides several examples of this, such as Cadbury eggs getting smaller over time, Doritos bags containing fewer chips, and Aldi's tikka masala simmer sauce being watered down.
The speaker suggests that consumers should be vigilant about changes in product packaging and pay attention to the price per ounce or unit rather than just the overall price. They also recommend using platforms like social media to call out companies that are practicing shrinkflation. The speaker concludes by encouraging consumers to stay informed and share information about these practices to help put an end to them.
1. There is an increasing trend in the food industry where companies are reducing the size of their products without raising the price. This is known as shrinkflation.
2. Some companies have attempted to deceive consumers by changing the packaging of their products to make them appear larger or the same size while actually containing less product.
3. An example of this is Cadbury eggs getting smaller over time, although the company initially denied this.
4. Other examples include Doritos bags getting smaller, and the amount of peanut butter in Skippy jars decreasing.
5. Consumer watchdog groups like mouseprint.org are tracking these changes and providing examples.
6. Toilet paper is another product that has seen its size reduced over time.
7. In 2009, Consumer Reports found that the sheets in toilet paper brands had been getting smaller, while the rolls had been getting shorter, reducing the amount of paper that consumers were getting by over twenty percent.
8. The owner of Toblerone, Mandalas, reduced the weight of their bars by 25% in 2014 by adding more space between each piece. After public backlash, they reversed the decision two years later.
9. Subreddits like r/shrinkflation are dedicated to tracking these product changes, and consumers are encouraged to share this information and call out companies that are shrinkflating their products.