Shrinking Product Size - Article.

[Shelly F - Ohio]

Thought I would share this article with my budget minded friends. Sorry the article had pictures with it that did not copy over so you will have to use your imagination.

Here We Downsize Again – 2015 (part two)

Filed under: Downsizing,Food/Groceries — Edgar (aka MrConsumer) @ 5:54 am

The parade of products being downsized continues. It is rare that a downsized product makes headlines, but this one did.

*MOUSE PRINT:


McCormick pepper


Besides dropping one-quarter of the contents, what is irksome here is the old and new containers are identical. Here is a side view with the old on the left and the new one the right:


McCormick side view


As reported in Consumer World last week, a competitor is suing McCormick for unfair practices, saying in part that the new package has been slack-filled. That means there is nonfunctional empty space inside which is illegal under federal law, and possibly some state laws.

Other competitors have noticed, and instead of fighting McCormick’s move, they are joining it.

*MOUSE PRINT:



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Toilet paper continues to be subject to the shrink ray. The latest, Cottonelle, has had each sheet downsized in both width and length.

*MOUSE PRINT:


Cottonelle


The good news — there are still 208 sheets on a roll — albeit each sheet is just a little closer to resembling a postage stamp than before. Thanks to Richard G. for this tip.

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Lastly, we have bar soap. Many brands of “bath size” soap were originally five ounces. Then they became 4.5 ounces, then 4.25 ounces, and finally four ounces. Sometime, probably last year, Olay reduced the size of its soap from 4.25 ounces to four ounces.

*MOUSE PRINT:


Olay 4.25 oz
Olay 4 oz.

 

[davper]

What bothers me about downsizing product, is the packaging doesn't change size. I would rather pay more for the same amount then pay a hair less for much less. When the packaging doesn't change size, a greater percent of what you pay in total is for packaging.

Then you have the issue that the size you had once gotten was the perfect size for your need. Perfect example for me is Tuna Fish in the foil packet. A 6oz package was perfect for my wife and I. Now the package is 5 oz and we have to have less protein with our carbs or waste money by buying a second package just to have the same amount and risk have the remainder go to waste.

I get it, prices go up. I am not stupid. Raise the price as needed without trying to pull a fast one.

Here is another fast one that food comapnies have pulled, Ice Cream. Forget that you can't buy a half gallon of ice cream any more. But in many cases, you don't get ice cream. Take a close look at the packaging. Most say Frozen Desert.

What is the difference you ask? Frozen Dessert is made with oils as opposed to milk and butter fat.

Look at the Breyer's label. They used to promote all natural ingredient's. It no longer says Breyer's All Natural on the packaging.

Sorry for my tirade.

 

[usnuzuloose]

Same thing with the cake mixes, how do you use the same ingredients and the package has less flour mixture. Can't cut an egg in half..

 

[LJSquishy]

My fresh produce and bulk bin supplies haven't shrunk at all so it doesn't bother me.

What little ingredients I do buy in packages or cans is still the same size, like Native Forest Canned Coconut Milk, shredded unsweetened coconut, tomato products, etc. So, it seems to be just the giant corporations that sell "food-like products" and not so much real food/ingredients that are prepackaged. Just my personal experience.

 

[JustCallMeMommy]

I used to say that Charmin was worth every penny, but the width of the roll taking less and less space on the holder would make me mad every time I changed the roll. I finally changed brands.

 

[Eastern]

Same thing with the cake mixes, how do you use the same ingredients and the package has less flour mixture. Can't cut an egg in half..

Downsized cake mixes really annoy me.

 

[Dizlvr]

Same thing with the cake mixes, how do you use the same ingredients and the package has less flour mixture. Can't cut an egg in half..

I would think the recipes are tested to make sure the amount of ingredients are correct.

My issue is with boxes of pasta being downsized. Not all do it but I got a box that was 12 oz last week. That is 1/4 of it gone.

 

[YoYoAurora]

I teach cooking. When they downsize an ingredient package, it causes problems for me and my students. Not everyone likes using a fraction of a mix or other pre-packaged ingredient. And there's the challenge of using the leftover fraction.

I hate it when they downsize cake mixes or other pre-packaged baking mixes.

 

[usnuzuloose]

I teach cooking. When they downsize an ingredient package, it causes problems for me and my students. Not everyone likes using a fraction of a mix or other pre-packaged ingredient. And there's the challenge of using the leftover fraction.

I hate it when they downsize cake mixes or other pre-packaged baking mixes.

I did make a cake once with the downsizing package and boy I could tell the difference when filling a pan. It was not the same. Since the recession most of the packaging has shrunk, and even now they have not gone back and made them regular size. I look at bacon and a lot of it is still 120z, vs 160z and the price is so much higher.

 

[YoYoAurora]

To my students' dismay, I'm having to switch out some recipes because of the shrinking package sizes. I'm moving to cooking from scratch recipes, which can take longer and require more ingredients for the same recipe. Most of my students are looking for quick, easy and delicious. For the most part, they don't care if they're opening a package, a can or a jar. They're home cooks, not chefs in training.

 

[powellrj]

I hate when you go make a recipe and you buy all your supplies only to come home and find out they reduced the size. Now you have to decide to make it with the smaller packages or go back and buy another package and then measure the new amount.

 

[OhMari]

4 rolls of toilet paper used to last a week in our house. I noticed Angel Soft toilet paper is down to 1/2 a day use. With 4 people in the house, I used to put 2 in each bathroom and it is gone in 2 days. I switched brands too. Crazy.

 

[Jake&IzzyLand]

Agreed on the Angel Soft, that is seriously throwing money away!

Also, can they make granola bars any slimmer?? There will soon be nothing left. I no longer buy them for school snacks. I make my own or mix up my own snack mix.

 

[Jake&IzzyLand]

Double post

 

[AquaDame]

More than anything else this has changed the way my family eats. Since the sizing of so many products has changed recipes don't work any more. Going off what others above me have said I can't get a full fluffy cake from a box, can't stand using one plus a little of a second to make up the difference either and do NOT get me started on the ice cream issue... lol!

Our answer was to just stop using those products. My ice cream is better than anything we could get at the store and is really easy to do with my $25 ice cram maker. We make cakes from scratch. We mix up our own trail mix and spend a the majority of our shopping time over in the bulk food section taking exactly what we need for noodles and other odds and ends for recipes. We use fresh fruits and veggies where you weigh them too instead of grabbing a can or bag. We can't do this 100% but it is enough that it has made a huge difference in the amount of processed food we buy.

To my students' dismay, I'm having to switch out some recipes because of the shrinking package sizes. I'm moving to cooking from scratch recipes, which can take longer and require more ingredients for the same recipe. Most of my students are looking for quick, easy and delicious. For the most part, they don't care if they're opening a package, a can or a jar. They're home cooks, not chefs in training.

Just read this... it can indeed take little longer, but is also usually cheaper, more filling (actual FOOD yay!), and overall your students will likely feel better if they stick with it. I'm not a chef in training either, but we are getting to the point where we would rather stay home to cook and have it OUR way than go out and have it be meh.

 

[Madteaparty001]

I used to say that Charmin was worth every penny, but the width of the roll taking less and less space on the holder would make me mad every time I changed the roll. I finally changed brands.

I thought I was going crazy every week I would open a new pack and it seemed less wide then before! Then they started advertising on the packaging like it was great that they had made in thinner, and there was a big HA, I'm not crazy moment!

To my students' dismay, I'm having to switch out some recipes because of the shrinking package sizes. I'm moving to cooking from scratch recipes, which can take longer and require more ingredients for the same recipe. Most of my students are looking for quick, easy and delicious. For the most part, they don't care if they're opening a package, a can or a jar. They're home cooks, not chefs in training.

Maybe have your student make their own premixes? It's a great trick I do in my house, take a day of the month and just make a bunch of mixes ahead of time. Cookie mixes, cake mixes, spice mixes, instant oatmeal mixes, muffin mixes, etc. At Christmas time I make about 8-10 different kinds of cookies and bake them all in one weekend, fill tins up with them and give them out as gifts. I would never be able to get it done if I didn't prep the mixes the week before. I put it in ziplock bags and label the mix and add short hand instructions.

Also, can they make granola bars any slimmer?? There will soon be nothing left. I no longer buy them for school snacks. I make my own or mix up my own snack mix.

I think this is part downsizing part calorie cutting. If the bar is half the size they can advertise it's half the calories! Less Sugar! Less Fat! Less Food!

 

[Iamthequeen]

Our local dairy downsized their 1/2 gallon to 59 oz and thought no one would notice. Price did not change though. They said it was because the shape of the bottle changed, but once people started raising a stink, they changed back to the original bottle shape and back to a 64 oz 1/2 gallon. smh

 

[kamik86]

Accidently hit reply and then enter... without actually meaning to post. Don't really have anything to say here although I do find this annoying too.

 

[North of Mouse]

59 oz. OJ instead of 64 oz. - same with Chlorox and many other liquids that size! Also, same goes with formerly 32, 16, 8 ounces respectively - all reduced in size. Meanwhile, prices 'rise'!! Do they take us for stupid or something????? Bet it would be surprising how many people are completely clueless - guess that's what they are 'literally' banking on!!!

 

[manning]

Same thing with the cake mixes, how do you use the same ingredients and the package has less flour mixture. Can't cut an egg in half..

My did a recipe calling for 1 box of cake mix. Needless to say it didn't come out right.