Swiss Miss shrinkage [Archive]

mateozzz

01-30-2012, 21:34

Did anyone else notice that the Swiss Miss hot chocolate packages conveniently shrunk about 20%? Some old(er) packets I have are labeled as 28 g net wt but the new ones I just bought tip the scale at 23 g (with the packet) and discretely say "not labeled for individual sale". Nice. Interestingly enough the instructions still say to use 6oz of water, so I'm guessing they juiced it with some flavor enhancer to make you not notice the lack of sugar or chocate (or both).

This stuff always ticks me off, unless the serving size before was way off I would much prefer keeping it the same and just raise the price.

Let the Seinfeld jokes begin.

hikerboy57

01-30-2012, 21:37

"I was in the pool!"

eatapeach

01-30-2012, 21:40

Inflation sucks!

Wise Old Owl

01-30-2012, 21:58

Swiss Miss has nothing to do with male shrinkage ... uh when it comes to 20 somethings.... oh never mind - did you fall off you computer office chair?:eek:

hikerboy57

01-30-2012, 22:00

not that theres anything wrong with that.......

swjohnsey

01-31-2012, 00:06

Take a look at jars of peanut butter and loaves of bread. Pound of coffee can be about 11 ounces these days.

Half Note

01-31-2012, 00:31

Like a frightened turtle.

RetroGear

01-31-2012, 02:28

Dunno about you, but if I were given the choice between paying a higher price for the same size or paying a lower price for a smaller amount, I'd rather pay more. But of course rather than being honest and upfront about raising the price, most companies reduce the quantity (and very possibly the quality as well) in the hope that you won't notice. Unfortunately the only thing we as consumers can do is not buy the product any more.

Wil

01-31-2012, 04:38

One of the silly "60 Minutes" or some such show did a piece on this kind of scam a few years ago and had an industry spokesman on. With straight faces on both sides of the camera here was the story: downsizing package content is a benefit to the consumer because it allows him to continue to enjoy an approximation of the buying experience he was accustomed to, without the drastic price increase that would otherwise be required and that would damage his buying experience.

I am not making this up.

blackbird04217

01-31-2012, 07:04

My head just exploded. I suppose I can't say I am surprised companies go to this level, but I do honestly find it disturbing.

"A pound of coffee can be 11oz", now honestly, this must be able to be fought under false advertising? Any elementary school child knows a pound is 16oz irregardless of the item in question.

k2basecamp

01-31-2012, 07:18

It's hard to find a half gallon of ice cream anymore.

Rocket Jones

01-31-2012, 07:19

They don't label it as a pound, but what we used to refer to as 'a pound of coffee' is now more correctly called 'a can of coffee'.

Shrinking product instead of raising prices is an old, old custom. A simple and visible one is Reese's Peanut Butter Cups. They're downright tiny nowadays.

moytoy

01-31-2012, 07:40

A hiker complained it was too heavy so we lightened it. Now he complains it's not large enough...sheesh!

hikerboy57

01-31-2012, 08:13

theyve(you know, "them") been doing it with cereal for years.it seems only milk and gas are impervious to shrinkage, although its impossible to buy 1 gallon of gas(unless you have .9 cents on you.)
the other laughable label is nutritional content. that snack bar at first glance told you it was only 160 calories. you look a little further and that snack bar is actually 2 portions!
although it does give me more energy for "feats of strength."

Pedaling Fool

01-31-2012, 09:32

It seems like there's only on way to combat the obesity problem in America -- raise food prices. Much like air pollution, only one way to combat it, raise energy prices. What's the problem:confused:

Tabasco

01-31-2012, 09:45

Any elementary school child knows a pound is 16oz irregardless of the item in question.

Just as any elementary school child should know there is no such word as irregardless.
:rolleyes:
That being said, perhaps they are just following the backpacker's maxim, Weighs less, provides same benefits.

Sarcasm the elf

01-31-2012, 09:47

Forget about the size of a Swiss miss packet, instead look at the ingredient list. When was the last time you saw the word "chocolate" make an appearance? I don't care if the packet is 28g or 23g, it still contains about 0g of chocolate. (This does not in any way mean that I would refuse a cup of it on a winter night on the trail)

hikerboy57

01-31-2012, 09:59

the instant water packets are still the same size they were when i was a kid.some things never change.(just add water).

coach lou

01-31-2012, 10:09

Swiss Miss, Spacefood Sticks, Pop-Tarts,and Dinty Moore Beef Stew. That is all I carried as a young lad!

Spokes

01-31-2012, 10:14

Some of the hot chocolate found in the dollar store are still "full size". Old stock no doubt.

Gray Blazer

01-31-2012, 10:41

Some of the hot chocolate found in the dollar store are still "full size". Old stock no doubt.

SPOKES-Please, speaking of old, I like your other avatars a lot better. You could even put up some hot chocolate ones, but, the old guy is freaking me out!

Gray Blazer

01-31-2012, 10:42

SPOKES-Please, speaking of old, I like your other avatars a lot better. You could even put up some hot chocolate ones,

Full size is good, iykwim.

Sarcasm the elf

01-31-2012, 10:54

SPOKES-Please, speaking of old, I like your other avatars a lot better. You could even put up some hot chocolate ones, but, the old guy is freaking me out!Agreed, it's no wonder that his profile page has well over a thousand visits, nobody knows who they're postin to ;-)

hikerboy57

01-31-2012, 11:16

sometimes i log on to WB just to see the latest transformation. a bit dissapointing lately.:)

doritotex

01-31-2012, 11:19

And what about a "fifth" of liquor?!! Several years ago, when they went to liter bottles, several ounces were lost, but of course the price didn't go down!!

Rocket Jones

01-31-2012, 12:19

It seems like there's only on way to combat the obesity problem in America -- raise food prices. Much like air pollution, only one way to combat it, raise energy prices. What's the problem:confused:

The problem is social engineering. How about educating people to be responsible for their own choices?

hikerboy57

01-31-2012, 12:25

The problem is social engineering. How about educating people to be responsible for their own choices?
do you mean like burger king"have it your way"?

swjohnsey

01-31-2012, 12:36

Too bad the big petroleum companies can't reduce the number of ounces in a gallon to keep the price down at the pump.

hikerboy57

01-31-2012, 12:38

Too bad the big petroleum companies can't reduce the number of ounces in a gallon to keep the price down at the pump.all they really have to do is convert to liters, itll take years for americans to figure it out.

Surplusman

01-31-2012, 12:46

Years ago I heard an industry response to the 11 oz "pound" of coffee. Again, with a straight face, the spokesperson said that 'customers requested it.' Uh-huh. Sometime I wonder if these corporate folks actually believe their own horse****.

swjohnsey

01-31-2012, 12:49

Yep. How many kilometers/liter you gettin'?

Jeff

01-31-2012, 14:49

It's hard to find a half gallon of ice cream anymore.

I was told the brand of ice cream (Hersheys ???) sold at Pine Grove Furnace State Park, where the half gallon challenge is held is still a FULL half gallon !!! I think half gallons of Breyer's brand is down 25% to only 1.5 qts.

hikerboy57

01-31-2012, 14:58

swjohnsey

01-31-2012, 14:59

Yep, still half a gallon.

Feral Bill

01-31-2012, 16:25

the weight of a half gallon of ice cream can vary greatly depending on the brand.premium ice creams such as haagen daas are usually much more dense than the generic brands.the cheaper makers pump a lot of air into the mix. Ice cream is sold by volume, not weight. Bryers, sadly, now sell it in 1 1/2 quart cartons. I dont know if it's less dense than in years gone by, but the Haagen Das is surely much denser than almost any other brand.

Sierra Echo

01-31-2012, 16:32

Oh wow. If Swiss Miss is experiencing shrinkage then I must say, she is not a lady. Tell Swiss Mister to keep his ass out of cold water!

hikerboy57

01-31-2012, 16:35

Ice cream is sold by volume, not weight. Bryers, sadly, now sell it in 1 1/2 quart cartons. I dont know if it's less dense than in years gone by, but the Haagen Das is surely much denser than almost any other brand.take a quart of HD and a quart of breyers, leave them out in the sun to melt and compare how muchis left.the HD has almost twice as much. rwemeber not to use HD in the ice cream challenge.go with the cheap stuff.

swjohnsey

01-31-2012, 17:27

There is only one choice.

Tinker

01-31-2012, 19:38

"I was in the pool!"

HikerGeorge57 :D ;)

Tinker

01-31-2012, 19:40

all they really have to do is convert to liters, itll take years for americans to figure it out.

Funniest thing today. LMAO :D

hikerboy57

01-31-2012, 19:44

Tinker

01-31-2012, 19:51

i still dont understand that we've been able to accept water and soda sold in liters , but nothing else?what is it about water that warrants this preferential continental attitude? and why clear plastic for water, and cardboard cartons for juice?why is this?who are these people?I agree with lewis black that aquafina is a latin word meaning the "end of water as we know it".:)

Not quite - Aquafina is a

FINE that people pay on

AQUA (water, to most folks) ;).

I bottle my own "special" water. I get it from the mystical fountain of PUR, which is only found in my KITCHEN, attached to my FAUCET. :D

I carry it around in a fashionable stainless bottle from Kleen Canteen. http://www.kleankanteen.com/

Wise Old Owl

01-31-2012, 20:17

Tinker fyi I just drink it.... I heard a story yesterday about the filter attached to the faucet, that you are running both hot and cold thru it causes more algae.

Im not going to look that one up.... but I will share...

Miami Joe

02-01-2012, 02:56

There is an important lesson to be learned here: F*** Switzerland. Buy a bar of Sol Sweet Chocolate and put your 10-inch Bowie knife to good use. Don't forget your powdered milk, boy scouts.

mateozzz

02-01-2012, 21:07

It has cocoa, which is close enough for me.

ki0eh

02-01-2012, 21:25

i still dont understand that we've been able to accept water and soda sold in liters , but nothing else?

Water, liquor, fasteners even on American cars, and last but not least, Pennsylvania's Mid State Trail, metric since 1973: http://www.rps.psu.edu/notebook/metric.html

atraildreamer

02-05-2012, 18:13

Take a look at jars of peanut butter and loaves of bread. Pound of coffee can be about 11 ounces these days.

A quart of Mayonaise is now 30 ounces, not 32. A half-gallon of ice cream is now 56 ounces, not 64, Haven't seen a pound can of anything for a while...usually in the 13-15.5 ounce range. It goes on and on. :(

Watch out for the labels that say "about x# of servings". Bought a can of ravioli at WallyWorld that had "about 2 servings" in the can. It actually was about 1.6 servings. Progresso soups are a good deal. Their "about 2 servings" are actually about 2.5 servings per can.

Can we really blame the manufacturers? :confused: They are feeling the economic squeeze just like everyone else, and they have to buy their raw materials with an ever cheapening dollar thanks to the economic policies that are running this country into the ground. :mad:

Sorry about the slightly off-topic rant! :bse