Deceiving Consumers, Food brands downsizing products

Shoppers are paying more for their goods without realising - as manufacturers shrink the pack sizes.

In the face of rising costs, firms try to protect their profits. But many brands are reluctant to put up prices for fear of a consumer backlash - particularly when household budgets are squeezed.

One solution is to charge customers the same - but make packs smaller.

Pampers is the latest brand to employ the tactic. Packs of its Baby Dry Economy Pack Maxi Plus now contain four fewer nappies, although the price has stayed the same. It effectively puts up the price of each nappy by about 7 per cent.

Dairylea, Pringles, Strongbow and Rolo have all cut pack sizes without cutting prices.

Onken mousse pots recently shrank from 150g to 115g. But the price remained at 49p - equating to a 30 per cent increase.

Earlier this year, Kraft's standard pack of eight Dairylea slices became lighter. The box was the same, but slices were thinner.

Cadbury's recently reduced the size of a Family Share Dairy Milk chocolate bar. And Strongbow cider cases now contain fewer cans.

Last year, Birds Eye cut the size of packs of peas but the price went up. The firm blamed a poor UK harvest for the need to raise prices.

n 1995, Nestle slimmed down the Yorkie bar from seven chunks to six and cut the number of Rolos in a pack from 11 to ten.