Skimpflation: Food manufacturers save on quality

Skimpflation: Food manufacturers save on quality

The consumer advice center is currently warning of a new tactic used by food manufacturers, called “skimpflation”. With this method, manufacturers not only increase prices, but also reduce the quality of products. This can be done by saving valuable ingredients. The Hamburg consumer advice center recently uncovered a number of cases of poor quality. A past example was the change in the recipe of the Nutella chocolate spread in 2018, in which the cocoa content was reduced.

A list first published last fall identified a total of 28 products that were found to be experiencing a decline in quality. Examples of this are the Königsberger Klopse from Dreistern, in which the meat content has been drastically reduced. The cream sliced ​​meat from Gut & Günstig and the Serbian bean soup from Erasco were also mentioned, as important ingredients were also saved here.

Consumers can identify “skimpflation” by comparing old and new ingredient lists. A note such as “New Recipe” may indicate that the quality of the product has been compromised. The consumer advice center warns manufacturers to end this quality deception, as it is often combined with “shrinkflation”. Shrinkflation involves offering less content for the same or higher price, which is also misleading to consumers.

The Storck company was also criticized for changing the packaging of its marzipan chocolate, which was viewed as “shrinkflation”. The consumer advice center warns consumers not to fall for these deceptions and calls on manufacturers to be more transparent and honest about their products.