Stores toasted for baked bean ‘trick’

BAKED beans lovers have kicked up a stink over Heinz’s new smaller cans.

They say they were short-changed by some stores because they weren’t given proper warning of the tiny tins.

It’s the latest example of “shrinkflation” to hit shoppers.

Tesco is one of the stores selling new 300g tins of the snack online, using an image supplied by maker Heinz.

But the photo in their online listing is so large that some customers thought they were buying bigger 415g cans.

And they reacted with anger after they were charged 85p for 300g.

One complained on the store’s website: “Bought not realising these are not the standard size – disappointing.”

Another wrote on the Tesco website: “I bought this by mistake thinking it was the normal size and only when I saw it I realised how stupid I had been not to check the details.

“No wonder they haven’t splashed, ‘great new size’ all over the picture. I bet lots of people have been taken in by it.”

The beans blunder is widespread. Ocado customers have also moaned about “misleading” photos, with one writing: “Size is everything. The Ocado search results for Heinz No Added Sugar Beans is misleading as the image of the 300g size can appears to be the same size as the 415g can!” Another alleged: “They got away with it in Australia now Heinz tries its dirty tricks here.”

Asda was praised for drawing attention to the smaller cans.

On its website, a photograph of the 300g tin shows a bold red band stating “new size” and a Heinz logo that states 300g.

Asda shoppers also pay 35p less for them.

Last night, some shoppers’ champions criticised stores for “misleading” customers.

Marc Gander from the Consumer Action Group told us: “The proper action to take would be for Tesco to apologise and then make a good contribution towards some good cause – or even better, contribute a few thousand tins of beans to food banks.” We have approached Tesco, Ocado and Heinz for their comments.

ACTOR Alan Rickman will be honoured with a book and film about his life.

His widow Rima Horton has been working on ideas to celebrate his work, which included playing Hogwarts’ Professor Snape and Love Actually boss Harry.

Rickman died of pancreatic cancer aged 69 in 2016. Rima, 73, said: “It’s taken a while to figure out what his legacy should be.”