Shoppers are being hit with “super-shrinkflation” as prices have risen at the same time that portion sizes have been cut, according to a new investigation.
The Telegraph found that some products have doubled in price per unit, in comparison to the same period last year, at supermarkets including Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Asda and Morrisons.
The smaller pack sizes come as economists have warned food inflation will remain double-digit until the end of 2023, while food prices are expected to continue to rise for the foreseeable future.
In February, standard packs of McVitie’s Digestives were cut from 400g to 360g, however the price has risen by 20p to £1.80.
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Multi-packs of Penguin biscuits were reduced from eight bars to seven and have jumped in price from £1.25 to £1.50 for the smaller packs.
A spokesperson for Pladis, which makes McVitie’s and Penguin biscuits, told the newspaper: “As with every company in the sector we have seen our input costs increase with inflationary pressures across our supply chain and this trend has continued throughout 2023.”
At the time of shrinkflation, the biggest factor for the change was Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, which pushed up the cost of commodity crops such as wheat and vegetable oils, which are widely used in the manufacture of Britain’s most popular biscuits.
In May, Hellmann’s mayonnaise jars were also slimmed down, with the 800g products replaced with 600g versions.
While these are 25% smaller in size, they cost 14% more at £3.75.
Ingredients found in Hellmann’s mayonnaise, such as olive oil and eggs, have seen price rises, with olive oil up 49% in the 12 months to March 2023, according to the Office for National Statistics.
