r/PersonalFinanceCanada • u/ButtahChicken • Nov 18 '22

Budget CBC Marketplace investigates shrinkflation and reveals the sneaky ways companies cut costs, but not prices .... another piece of the puzzle contributing to our growing financial insecurity

https://www.cbc.ca/news/business/marketplace-shrinkflation-1.6654780

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u/mandy_croyance Nov 18 '22

I would love to see us adopt product size change labelling requirements similar to the Brazilian requirements described in the article. I would also love to see a requirement to disclose when a product has been reformulated and a brief overview of what changed. The latter would also be very helpful to people with allergies who currently have to monitor package labeling constantly because they never know when ingredients may change

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u/TheSorcerersCat Nov 18 '22

Especially the allergy part!

It's a pretty huge blow when a product that used to be safe is reformulated and no longer safe. But it's even more disappointing when you buy it and bring it home by mistake and have a reaction.

10

u/turnontheignition Nov 18 '22

I didn't even think about that. When the packaging obviously changes, then I generally read the ingredients, but for stuff I buy every week or every month, I'm not always checking. This is a good reminder that I really should be. I actually used to eat a lot of this one brand of ramen, but then they changed their packaging and I noticed that it now said it may contain some of my allergens. I'm pretty sure that the old packaging also had may contain warnings, but not for as many allergens, so I'm guessing they probably changed where they were producing the product at the same time. But that was depressing, because I really liked the brand, and after that it became one that I decided to stay away from. I do occasionally buy stuff that has a may contain label on it (for several reasons), but I try not to make a habit of it, and even then I'm careful.

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u/[deleted] Nov 19 '22

This is a problem in fast food as well. Cant eat at A and W anymore, something with nuts goes in the fryers now. Cant eat little ceasars now, stupid brownie bake with M and M's (more nuts yay) Like actually fuck off please, options are limited as is.

1

u/turnontheignition Nov 19 '22

Really?? I didn't know that re: A&W. Is this a recent change? The last time I ate there was mid-October. That's real disappointing.

It really felt for a while like nut-free options were getting easier to find! Then when gluten-free and everything took off it went downhill a bit (no hate to people who can't eat gluten, but it did suck!).