Canadians who suspect their groceries are shrinking can get a glimpse of which products have been affected and by how much, as a new study examines 60 products across major grocers in Ontario.
Titled “
Shrinkflation In Ontario: A Study” and produced by non-profit group Community Researchers, the report explores the reduction in grocery product size from 2019 to 2023 across three major Ontario chains. It found that 12 out of the 60 products had experienced shrinkflation, meaning their volumes were reduced while prices remained unchanged.
The study used a
website archive of grocery flyers to compare product prices and volumes from 2019 to the present. It identified the most significant shrinkflation in baby food, poultry, processed meats, unsaturated fats and oils, and products with higher sugar or fat content.
Products identified as the “worst offenders” for shrinkflation include certain fruit sauce pouches, chicken bites, and chocolate biscuits, which had all decreased by more than 20 percent.
The 60 products examined were categorized into 20 groups. Among them, 45 percent showed no shrinkflation, including items in categories such as fruits, whole wheat products, and beverages.
“I do think that shrinkflation is an unfair practice,” Rachel Lee, co-author of the study, told The Epoch Times. “Consumers should be able to have transparency with the differences in the package quantity,”
Additionally, the study found that products affected by shrinkflation “closely resembled their previous packaging.”
Ms. Lee noted that while consumers can track price changes easily with mobile apps, detecting shrinkflation in packaging is more challenging.
She suggested that government intervention could help address this issue through regulation and informing consumers about products that have undergone shrinkflation.
Shrinkflation is a global issue, according to a November 2023 Ipsos
survey. The survey found that 46 percent of nearly 25,000 adults in 33 countries said they had noticed this issue. In Canada, 64 percent of respondents considered the practice “unacceptable,” while 10 percent found it acceptable.
The rise in food costs have been much discussed in recent years, and has many factors behind it. The increase in global freight costs, energy prices, and the costs of labour and trucking, are among the factors listed by the
Bank of Canada in a June 2023 report about the increase in prices starting during the pandemic. The report noted that firms appear to have been able to pass these costs on to consumers.
