Leo Gillick
It feels like every year our snacks get more expensive, and yet they keep getting smaller. When I was younger, I thought that it was simply because I was getting bigger. But, it turns out, little by little, our favorite drinks and foods have been shrinking, hence the name shrinkflation.
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It might seem like it should be illegal to charge us more for less. But, it isn’t. So, now we’re just left with little tiny snacks and emptier pockets. Here are some of the prime examples of daylight robbery.
Halloween Candy
One of the prime examples in the shrinkflation game is chocolate bars. Every year, they get a little lighter and a little shorter. However, one of the sweet treat subcategories that has really taken a hit is the Halloween candies handed out to kids.
Now, they are a solid 1/3 of the size they were only a few years ago. In this image shared on Reddit, the Snickers can only fit the ‘S’ on the package. Embarrassing. Denying our children tooth-rotting goodness.
Subtle Shrinkflation
Sometimes the shrinkage isn’t just in the size of the item. There have been numerous reports of shrinkflation happening at an ingredient level. Take Izze, for instance, the carbonated drink from Costco. This drink, only a few months ago, was made with 70% real juice. Now, however, it’s only 60%. This is also known as enshittification.
Classico tomato sauce not only became 8% smaller for the same price, but the ingredients have also been changed. Ingredients are listed in order of amount, with the majority being first. Before the shrinkflation, the sauce was mainly tomato. Now, however, checking the label reveals that it’s mostly water.
Not The CheeseBalls!
Sometimes an evening calls for a marathon TV series binge, and a tub of cheese balls big enough to drown in. We all need those moments, covered in cheesy dust, waiting for the inevitable “are you still watching” message to shame us into pressing our dusty fingers into the remote.
But, it appears even the massive cheese balls tubs are getting smaller.
My Goodness, My McDonalds
Even the international juggernaut of fast food isn’t exempt from the ever-changing sizes of food. Numerous people have compared the sizes of their large fries and even Big Macs today to what they once were. McDonald’s, of all places, the billion-dollar company, is stiffing us with shrinkflation.
Plenty of people have even pointed out that the $5 menu is now $6. That’s just theft.
Hollow Nuggets
A post recently went viral showing some cooked Walmart chicken nuggets. Now, nuggets, although delicious, are not exactly high-quality meat. They’re easy to cook, have enough sustenance to keep you going through lunch, and are a guilty pleasure. So, you would be forgiven for thinking that they would be exempt.
The footage shows a person cutting open the Walmart nuggets to find that they are hollow. The shrinkflation situation has robbed the nuggets of their nug. It’s only a breaded casing.
@foodulary Walmarts chicken nuggets… 🍗 #walmart ♬ Funny – Gold-Tiger
We, collectively, need to stop paying for less.
