Shrinkflation: McVities to cut number of biscuits in each pack

Fewer biscuits will be packaged in McVities Digestives, while the number of Penguin bars will be cut in multi-packs, stated recent reports, as shop prices across the industry reach record levels.

In the latest case of shrinkflation, McVities Digestives will have three biscuits lesser from each pack to save costs. Penguin bars and Club biscuits, which are both often sold in packs of eight, are now expected to come in seven.

Pladis, the parent company of the three brands, told ITV News the changes are in response to several factors, including “inflationary pressures.”

“The pack content of our products is subject to periodic change to reflect consumer preference, customer demand, affordability and industry-wide inflationary pressures,” said a spokesperson.

"Like many businesses, we continue to see an unprecedented rise in input costs. We openly discuss the impact of these with our retail customers, who decide their retail selling prices independently.”

Since Russian invasion on Ukraine last year, there has been a slew of rise in prices including commodity crops such as wheat and vegetable oils, which are widely used in the manufacture of Britain’s most popular biscuits.

Apart from the above-mentioned products, a range of brands and products are known to indulge in the practice of shrinkflation. Uncle Ben's rice packets, has cut the size of rice portions, removing 30g from its 250g pouches, reducing them to 220g while Muller Yoghurts, that used toweigh 190g per pot is now 160g.

Magnum Ice Cream, the 110ml sticks in the Classic and White multipacks have been swapped to 100ml sticks. Imitation spread, spreads such as Flora, Bertolli and I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter have shrunk from 500g to 450g.

Haribo, Haribo bags have decreased from 160g to 140g while in Lindt Lindor Milk Truffles,each box used to come with four truffles and would weigh 50g, but now only three are given.