Pop Tarts are smaller

[SL6827]

When pulling my pop tart of out the box I thought it felt thinner, and I was right. My daughter had a previous box that was emptied that I had bought a month or so prior and I found it in the back of the cabinet. Look at the difference. The newer one is on the left.

 

[Alesia]

So each Pop tart is .15 oz smaller. That seems like it wouldn't be at all noticable, but it might shave a couple of calories off

 

[tvguy]

I just remember them as a kid in the 1960's as having a whole lot more jam inside than they do now. Oh, and NO awful frosting.

 

[SL6827]

So each Pop tart is .15 oz smaller. That seems like it wouldn't be at all noticable, but it might shave a couple of calories off

True, but they didn't shave off any of the price. See, that is what I am getting at.

 

[kymom99]

True, but they didn't shave off any of the price. See, that is what I am getting at.

Exactly

 

[Alesia]

True, but they didn't shave off any of the price. See, that is what I am getting at.

Right. Things get more expensive. The only options are to shrink the product or raise the price. Which do you think more people will notice?

 

[China Expat]

This drives me nuts! I refuse to buy products that deliberately play this shrinkage game.

 

[tvguy]

So each Pop tart is .15 oz smaller. That seems like it wouldn't be at all noticable, but it might shave a couple of calories off

I think the calorie part is the biggest portion. They get the calories per serving down, and they sell more. Doesn't hurt they don't lower the price.
It is amazing that for thousands of years humans struggled to get enough calories to survive. And in the last 100 years or so we have found ways to produce plentiful calories cheaply, and now that is a problem.
Don't get me started on GMO foods. I have no issue with them disclosing GMO status, but as one "expert" on CNN noted, GMO foods that have been modified to resist disease, insects and increase production are literally saving thousands and thousands of lives a year in third world countries.

 

[Jimsig]

Andy Rooney once did one of his "rants" on how they are selling lees for the same or even more. He compared a bunch of products to make his point on things like coffee and ice cream. Some items still came in the same size container but not contained less product. He also pointed out that ice cream used to come in half gallon containers, but was now less. But we still would say "half gallon of ice cream" when describing how much we should get at the store. He said he asked some executives and they basically all said that consumers didn't want to pay anymore in terms of a price increase so they just gave you less. None of them had an answer as to why they didn't alert the public to this.

It was that day I realized I was getting old as I agreed with everything Andy said. I was only 22 at the time

 

[kaytieeldr]

This drives me nuts! I refuse to buy products that deliberately play this shrinkage game.

Then you have to be willing to buy products that keep the size but raise the price?

 

[Alesia]

Andy Rooney once did one of his "rants" on how they are selling lees for the same or even more. He compared a bunch of products to make his point on things like coffee and ice cream. Some items still came in the same size container but not contained less product. He also pointed out that ice cream used to come in half gallon containers, but was now less. But we still would say "half gallon of ice cream" when describing how much we should get at the store. He said he asked some executives and they basically all said that consumers didn't want to pay anymore in terms of a price increase so they just gave you less. None of them had an answer as to why they didn't alert the public to this.

It was that day I realized I was getting old as I agreed with everything Andy said. I was only 22 at the time

The size is clearly marked on the outside of the package. Do you expect an actual alert Every time a product's size is changed? How would that even work?

 

[Jimsig]

The size is clearly marked on the outside of the package. Do you expect an actual alert Every time a product's size is changed? How would that even work?

But they kept the package size the same in most cases so you don't realize for a while you are getting less being somewhat deceptive. Sure the size of the pro9duct is on the package but if the package size is the same chances are you are not looking at what the size of the product is in side. Just like the pic in the OP's post the boxes are the same size. You think you are getting the same but you are not.

 

[kaytieeldr]

But they kept the package size the same in most cases so you don't realize for a while you are getting less being somewhat deceptive.

I just never assume the product will be the same size as in the past. Ice cream, cake mixes, milk...

Sure the size of the pro9duct is on the package but if the package size is the same

Redesigning the packaging wouod increase the price. Then there's the allotted shelf space to consider.

 

[tvguy]

Then there is Walmart. They cut a deal with General Mills to make the physical boxes smaller, since there was a huge air space at the top of the box. Then they told them to put MORE cereal by weight in the box. Walmart showed them that the savings in packaging and shipping costs more than offset the cost of the additional product in the box.
Always funny to put a regular store GM cereal box next to one from Walmart. The regular store box is larger, but the weight of the product in the Walmart purchased box is greater.

 

[Alesia]

Then there is Walmart. They cut a deal with General Mills to make the physical boxes smaller, since there was a huge air space at the top of the box. Then they told them to put MORE cereal by weight in the box. Walmart showed them that the savings in packaging and shipping costs more than offset the cost of the additional product in the box.
Always funny to put a regular store GM cereal box next to one from Walmart. The regular store box is larger, but the weight of the product in the Walmart purchased box is greater.

Well that explains why every time I buy cereal at Walmart 20% of it is crushed. That extra airspace is necessary to keep the cereal from getting pulverized

 

[Jimsig]

Then there is Walmart. They cut a deal with General Mills to make the physical boxes smaller...

A lot of companies have dedicated departments to the big box companies (Walmart, BJ's, Sam's etc) in terms of sales people. A friend worked for Gillette and he said they would approach say Walmart with a deal. Could be a razor, packaged with 8 extra blades, and a small thing of shaving cream, regular stores would only be offered a razor with 4 blades They would give them a price point for X amount of units if it was an exclusive but would then say if we can get BJ's to commit to the same package the price point will be lower. It also works the other way like you said where the stores go to the companies and make deals.

 

[tvguy]

A lot of companies have dedicated departments to the big box companies (Walmart, BJ's, Sam's etc) in terms of sales people. A friend worked for Gillette and he said they would approach say Walmart with a deal. Could be a razor, packaged with 8 extra blades, and a small thing of shaving cream, regular stores would only be offered a razor with 4 blades They would give them a price point for X amount of units if it was an exclusive but would then say if we can get BJ's to commit to the same package the price point will be lower. It also works the other way like you said where the stores go to the companies and make deals.

Yes, CNBC did an hour special on Walmart custom product likes from major manufacturers. 4,692 stores brings a lot of buying power. Not sure BJs is in the same boat with only 216 stores. Our local grocery store chain has 126 stores in California and Nevada.

 

[MillauFr]

The price needs to go up because the price of Thiamin Mononitrate, Corn Syrup, Dextrose, and Monocalcium Phosphate are going through the roof. Why can't they just use regular ingredients that everyone can recognize.

Here are some of the ingrediants they use.

ENRICHED FLOUR (WHEAT FLOUR, NIACIN, REDUCED IRON, VITAMIN B1 [THIAMIN MONONITRATE], VITAMIN B2 [RIBOFLAVIN], FOLIC ACID), CORN SYRUP, HIGH FRUCTOSE CORN SYRUP, DEXTROSE, SOYBEAN AND PALM OIL (WITH TBHQ FOR FRESHNESS), SUGAR, CRACKER MEAL, CONTAINS TWO PERCENT OR LESS OF WHEAT STARCH, SALT, DRIED STRAWBERRIES, DRIED PEARS, DRIED APPLES, LEAVENING (BAKING SODA, SODIUM ACID PYROPHOSPHATE, MONOCALCIUM PHOSPHATE), CITRIC ACID, MILLED CORN, GELATIN, SOYBEAN OIL, MODIFIED CORN STARCH, CARAMEL COLOR, SOY LECITHIN, XANTHAN GUM, MODIFIED WHEAT STARCH, VITAMIN A PALMITATE, RED 40, NIACINAMIDE, REDUCED IRON, COLOR ADDED, TURMERIC EXTRACT, VITAMIN B6 (PYRIDOXINE HYDROCHLORIDE), YELLOW 6, VITAMIN B2 (RIBOFLAVIN), VITAMIN B1 (THIAMIN HYDROCHLORIDE), BLUE 1.

 

[MillauFr]

And what is yellow #6? Is there a yellow #1 too? Maybe they should switch to that if it is cheaper in price.

 

[only hope]

And what is yellow #6? Is there a yellow #1 too? Maybe they should switch to that if it is cheaper in price.

I just finished reading Twinkie Deconstructed. As some of the ingredients in Twinkies are artificial colors, this was discussed. The numbers in artificial colors refer to which one was approved by the FDA for food use (not that approval means it is actually safe to eat). So yellow #1-5 recipes weren’t good enough and/or didn’t receive approval, so we have yellow #6.