By Gina Vivinetto
Good news for anyone who's griped about the amount of chips in a bag of Tostitos these days.
A representative for PepsiCo, the makers of chips that include Tostitos and Ruffles, confirmed to TODAY.com that the company will soon add 20% more chips to “bonus” bags of Ruffles and Tostitos for the same retail price.
The company's decision comes as consumers online are complaining of widespread "shrinkflation," that is, paying the same retail price — or more — for a product that's now smaller.
In 2021, the Consumer World website reported that a bag of Tostitos’ “Hint of Guacamole” chips had shrunk in size from 12 ounces to 11 ounces. The site, which was launched by consumer protection lawyer Edgar Dworsky, also found that a bag of Tostitos “Hint of Lime” chips had dropped from 13 ounces down to 11.
A quick search for #shrinkflation content on X and TikTok shows shoppers annoyed by the skimpier content sizes of everything from Chef Bombay frozen dinners to Glad kitchen garbage bags to the now "comically small" McDonald's Filet-O-Fish.
One TikTok user filmed himself opening a snack-size bag of Doritos only to find five chips inside. "Five chips!" the user yells in frustration while holding up five fingers.
The video garnered more than 670 comments from equally irritated shoppers, one of whom wrote, "I can't even bring myself to buy chips anymore. To get two handfuls in a $6 bag is maddening!"
Despite the skimpier packaging sizes, the prices of salty snacks have continued to rise in recent years. In September 2020, the average price of a 16-ounce bag of potato chips was $5.02, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. By September 2024, the price had jumped to $6.46.
Everyday consumers aren't the only ones riled up about "shrinkflation." Lawmakers are also getting involved.
Earlier this month, Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts and Rep. Madeleine Dean of Pennsylvania called out PepsiCo, General Mills and Coca-Cola for using shrinkflation tactics as a means to boost their bottom line.
The two lawmakers sent individual letters to each of the companies' CEOs, pointing out how they have reduced product sizes while charging the same or a higher retail price.
General Mills, for example, reduced the sizes of many of its cereal boxes in 2021, “including decreasing ‘Family Size’ Cocoa Puffs from 19.3 ounces to 18.1 ounces while charging the same price,” read their letter to General Mills Chairman and CEO Jeff Harmening.
"Then, from mid-2021 to mid-2022, General Mills hiked prices five times, and in 2023, your Group President of North American Retail bragged that the company was ‘getting smart about how we look at pricing,'" it added.
The lawmakers' letters also accused each of the companies of "dodging taxes" as part of their “pattern of profiteering."
“People have noticed that their box of Cheerios and bag of Doritos are smaller, but prices are higher — and at the same time these giant corporations are paying lower tax rates than the average American,” Warren said in a statement to NBC News.
“We can’t let them get away with this price gouging and tax dodging. It’s just plain wrong, and we’re fighting back.”
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