In a surprising turn of events, several supermarket products have undergone size and ingredient modifications without customer notification. Recent tests by Guardian Money revealed notable changes in products from popular chains such as Tesco, Aldi, and Morrisons. Customers are left to discover these alterations on their own as supermarkets increasingly adjust their offerings amid rising costs.
Tesco's Soft Extra Large Tissues, once known for their generous size of 300mm x 260mm, now measure only 280mm x 235mm. This reduction in size occurred quietly, without any notice to consumers. Similarly, the Tesco Springforce Jumbo Kitchen Towel Sheets have been scaled down from 210mm x 210mm to 195mm x 200mm, again without any prior announcement to the customers.
Aldi has also made significant changes to its product formulations. The Aldi Bramwells Real Mayonnaise, which previously boasted a content of 9% egg yolk, now lists only 6% egg and 1.5% egg yolk. Moreover, the Aldi Specially Selected Pesto Rosso 190g has seen a reduction in its extra virgin olive oil content from 33% to 27%, and rehydrated sun-dried tomatoes reduced from 26% to 23%.
Morrisons has not been left behind in this trend. Their guacamole product, which originally contained 80% avocado and 5% red onion, now includes 77% avocado with an unspecified amount of onion. Additionally, Morrisons has reduced the olive oil content in its spread while simultaneously cutting the pack size from 500g to 450g.
The olive oil spreads from Bertolli, Morrisons, and Sainsbury's have also been affected. Their olive oil content has been slashed from 21% to a mere 10%, aligning with a broader trend of ingredient reduction. This comes as consumers face a year-on-year increase of 44.8% in olive oil prices, driven by the ongoing crisis in Ukraine and severe drought conditions across Europe that have significantly impacted the price of all cooking oils.
A Sainsbury's spokesperson commented on these changes, stating:
"We regularly review and reformulate our products for reasons including improving health credentials, cost-saving and responding to feedback."
Meanwhile, a Tesco spokesperson addressed consumer concerns regarding inflation pressures:
"We have been working to mitigate the impact of inflation as much as we can for our customers."
Customers have expressed their dissatisfaction with these quiet changes. A shopper reviewing Sainsbury’s own-brand olive oil spread remarked:
"This used to have 21% olive oil in it which, with its cheaper price than the popular brand, made it a good alternative. Now the recipe only has 10%. Profit first."
Another customer shared their disappointment over Tesco’s tissue reduction:
"These tissues have changed. They are now nothing like the description. They are not luxury, soft, gentle and definitely NOT extra-large. Very inferior."
The reasons for these covert changes are multifaceted. Supermarkets cite rising production costs as a key factor influencing their decisions. The crisis in Ukraine has disrupted supply chains, particularly affecting the availability and cost of cooking oils. Additionally, climate change-induced droughts across Europe have exacerbated the situation by reducing crop yields, further driving up prices.
As supermarkets grapple with these challenges, they are tasked with maintaining profitability while attempting to shield consumers from steep price hikes. The delicate balancing act often results in product reformulations and size adjustments as a strategy to manage costs.