BWCA Everything is getting smaller... Boundary Waters BWCA Food and Recipes
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      Everything is getting smaller...     

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Swampturtle
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12/04/2013 07:28AM   (Thread Older Than 3 Years)
I have been noticing that packaging and portions are getting smaller as prices stay the same (or raise) in the grocery store. It's official...a "pound" of coffee is no longer a pound, it's 12, 11 or 10 oz depending on the "value" of the product. I thought a few brands would stick to the lb package, but as far as I can tell it is industry wide-at least with coffee. Jimmy Dean sausage is no longer a pound, it's 12 oz. Cake mixes have also taken a bite. Yesterday I went shopping and picked up my regular 5 lb bag of sugar for baking...it is now only 4 lbs.

Besides the added cost due to shrinkage, I now have to buy added ingredients because a recipe will call for a lb of something and the product is now only 12 oz. When I plan a menu to feed people, the new portions now equal less product, giving me less food on my table for the same hungry bunch.

Those of you that menu plan for yourself or groups, take note. I was going to label this off topic, but the more I think about it, it effects everyone's recipes and planning for trips. No one wants to just grab a bag of coffee only to find it's not going to last through your adventure.
 
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inspector13
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12/04/2013 09:09AM  

My parents found this out the hard way this past Thanksgiving. Being "recipe cooks", and in this case using prepackaged ingredients, they followed a mid 70s scalloped corn recipe. To their dismay, it turned out very soupy.

 
giddyup
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12/04/2013 10:42AM  
I've noticed this, too. Ritz cracker boxes have shrunk by about 25% in my estimation. Ore Ida hash browns are now 28 ounces instead of the previous 32 ounces and the cost is up from $2 per bag to $3. It's maddening but what are you going to do? I still buy them. Just ticks me off.
 
Jackfish
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12/04/2013 11:43AM  
It's all about price point, not quantity. I suppose I understand that - sort of. It's still frustrating though.
 
caribouluvr
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12/04/2013 08:15PM  
Obviously the prices of things are going up, including food. But I also think that the smaller packages has some to do with what many people need. My family of 4 (2 small kids) always has way too much left over for meals and packages of food. I like to think it cuts down on the waste and also keeps the prices lower than they otherwise would be. For instance, instead of the price going from $2 to $4, it goes from $2 to $3 because of the smaller size.
 
mr.barley
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12/05/2013 12:18PM  
I've noticed Clif bars seem smaller lately.
 
Swampturtle
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12/05/2013 01:21PM  
quote caribouluvr: "Obviously the prices of things are going up, including food. But I also think that the smaller packages has some to do with what many people need. My family of 4 (2 small kids) always has way too much left over for meals and packages of food. I like to think it cuts down on the waste and also keeps the prices lower than they otherwise would be. For instance, instead of the price going from $2 to $4, it goes from $2 to $3 because of the smaller size."

But...you are also getting less for that $3, so instead of getting 2 family meals from the bag of corn, now it's one with a bit leftover. I am finding I am buying the larger versions of items sometimes, because the price per unit on a 10lb bag of sugar is better than the now 4lb bag. I don't do the big bulk store shopping like BJ's, they have great stuff, but we just don't have the need. Its about price point, not about what corporate sees as a waste for the consumer, they would love it if no one ate a leftover. Notice how many jumped on the new best buy dates...some of which I think is a bunch of malarkey (obviously not all). I don't think a can of tomato soup a month past the freshness date should be automatically tossed so I can buy a new one. Obviously, those dates are important so I don't accidentally eat something from the back of my pantry from the 90's.

I do see your point though. They have been selling, for example, a 1/2 a pie in the grocery stores for singles or older folks who won't consume a whole pie in a week. That seems like consumer demand, otherwise that same couple or single would buy no pie. Who doesn't love those single serve items for camping that are so convenient like peanut butter, Nutella & pickles. But man, they can be expensive. It's just frustrating that my recipes call for a bag of say hash browns and instead of the bag being 32oz, it is now 28 oz. Everything has to be adjusted to the new "norm"...I love to cook & bake...maybe I need a kitchen scale for Xmas instead of fretting over fractions. ;)

 
inspector13
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12/05/2013 02:46PM  
quote Swampturtle:It's just frustrating that my recipes call for a bag of say hash browns and instead of the bag being 32oz, it is now 28 oz. Everything has to be adjusted to the new "norm"...I love to cook & bake...maybe I need a kitchen scale for Xmas instead of fretting over fractions. ;)"

I sent my parents a new but similar recipe for their scalloped corn. One of the problems with the old recipe was that it called for one sleeve of crushed saltines. Humm. : )

 
Swampturtle
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01/06/2014 04:12PM  
Grocery shrink ray...saltines are going round

I feel for your parents, it's sad that they made a nice dish on a holiday that turned out soupy because of shrinkage. Club Crackers from Keebler & Ritz from Nabisco have done the same. I just hope most of my recipes have better measurements listed than a package of this and a box of that. I can certainly improvise and wing-it in the kitchen, but this is a PITA.

I made a caramel dip for a candy recipe before Xmas. It called for a 14 oz package of caramels that no longer exists...it's now an 11 oz package. It's a good thing I had some extra caramel bitz in my pantry to make up the difference, otherwise it would have been an expensive mess had I not noticed the difference.
 
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