How to Recognize Deceptive Grocery Packaging
With rising food prices manufacturers are getting sneaky with packaging. They are giving less and less while charging more and more. For instance half gallons of ice cream are now 1.75 or 1.5 quarts. Cereals are being packaged in boxes that from the front appear the same size as the old boxes [14 oz.] but when examined are much thinner [12.5 oz.]. Learn what other tricks are being used so you will not be deceived.
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Instructions
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Some products are packaged the same but you are actually getting less for your money. For example: Hefty gripper bags changed the amount of bags in the box from 40 to 36. The price didn't change so you are actually paying more per bag. Other examples of this tactic are Bounty Napkins. They shrank from 200 napkins to 180 with the same look! Another example is that Pampers size 3 now has 8 less diapers yet the packaging is virtually identical. By being observant you will start to see this practice.
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Some manufacturers have made new containers that may appear as tall and wide as the old containers but the shape is deceptive. For instance Tropicana's orange juice went form 96 ounces to 89 ounces by just tapering the bottle inwards. Often, something will distract you from noticing the change in product size by drawing your attention to something else like the phrases "New Bottle" or "Same Great Taste".
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Not only do these tactics create confusion in value pricing it means that tried and true recipes may not turn out the way you are used to. Take special care when making recipes that call for items in numbers such as one can of this or one jar of that.
[I found that my tuna salad recipe didn't seem to make as many sandwiches. Then I noticed that the once 6 ounce can is now only 5 ounces.] No wonder it didn't serve as many people! -
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It is now more important than ever to read the pricing labels. The label shown is for Edy's ice cream. At first glance you might think it is $3.39 for a half gallon. If you look closer at the label you will notice that there is a small orange square in the left upper corner of the label. It says $2.26- This tells the price per quart. The label states that the Edy's ice cream contains 1.5 quarts. [48 oz. is typed in small print under the middle $3.39 price.]
By comparing the house brand you find that it is also listed at $3.39 but contains 1.75 quarts. By comparing the price per quart you will find that the house brand is a better deal over Edy's. -
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If you have trouble seeing the differences in package deception, try keeping a food journal for a while logging in sizes and prices and you will start to see patterns of deception the food manufacturers are using to pull the wool over our eyes. Don't be fooled.
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Tips & Warnings
Use coupons
Make a weekly grocery list and purchase for the week. Stay out of the store the rest of the week.
Resources
- Photo Credit Tony Cenicola/The New York Times
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Comments
View all 13 Comments-
Deceptive packaging...beware!
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is there any way to pressure manufacturers into restoring original sizes so we stop getting ripped off? about the only thing still the same size these days is a gallon of milk. products everywhere are getting smaller in size, count, etc. it's just bulls*it.
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bethjess39564
Nov 30, 2008
Very observant, thanks for passing this along!
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GreenGardenChic
Nov 14, 2008
Great consumer alert. 5*
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QuinnBee
Sep 02, 2008
Good observations!
