SHRINK RAP
Foods get smaller , but cost the same
THOUSANDS of food products have shrunk in size – but their prices have stayed the same.
Popular snacks like Doritos, Peperami and Coco Pops have all been hit by so-called “shrinkflation”.
Toblerone bars are 10% smaller, with M&M bags also reduced in size. Even loo rolls are getting shorter.
In total, 2,529 household products have shrunk since 2012 – mostly food and drink items. Only 614 packets have increased in size.
The shock figures were revealed yesterday by the Office of National Statistics.
Confectionary bosses blamed the rising cost of raw spokesman materials. said: “Manufacturers’An ONS costs may also be rising because of the recent fall in the value of the pound – leading some commentators to attribute shrinkflation on the UK’s decision to leave the European Union.”
But he added: “Our analysis doesn’t show a noticeable change following the referendum that would point towards a Brexit effect. “Others, including consumers’ magazine Which?, had been observing these shrinking pack sizes long before the EU referendum, and several manufacturers have denied that this is a major factor.”
Andrex toilet rolls now only have 221 sheets instead of 240 sheets and McVities’ Dark Chocolate Digestives have dipped from 332g to 300g a packet, while Tropicana Orange and Raspberry shrank from one litre to 850ml – a 15% reduction.
M&M’s and packets of Galaxy Minstrels are both 14% smaller.
Sugars, jams and syrups have also been hit.
Food and drinks expert Mark Jones said: “Shrinkflation was born out of the recession and has gathered staggering pace since 2009. The ONS confirms this.
“Against the backdrop of a weak economy, commodity prices have been rising over the last five years.”