Cheat packs in France are labeled
Manufacturers reducing the quantity of a product while not decreasing the price, must label this in France starting from the new week. This is to facilitate consumers' orientation. The same policy is causing difficulties for politics in this country. In France, retailers of foodstuffs must label multi-packs with a notice on the shelf starting from the new week for products whose packaging size has been reduced while the price remains the same or increases. This regulation applies to foodstuffs and other products, for both branded articles and own brands of supermarkets. The regulation on labeling so-called "shrinkflation" was introduced in France during the high inflation of the previous year when many people complained about high food prices and felt deceived by reduced packaging sizes.
Consumer advocates are also demanding labeling requirements for such products in Germany. "Consumers must be able to identify shrinkflated packages at a glance when shopping. Products with altered compositions or lower filling levels at the same or higher prices should be labeled with a warning notice for at least six months," said the head of the German Consumer Federation, Ramona Pop.
The Consumer Center Hamburg has been maintaining a list of shrinkflated packages for years. In the previous year, there were more complaints about such products than ever before, with over 100 products. Some manufacturers reduce the content while keeping or increasing the price, while others replace high-quality ingredients with cheaper ones. Shrinkflated packages are particularly common in pleasure foodstuffs such as chocolate, cookies, and chips. In most cases, branded articles are affected.
The Federal Ministry for the Environment and Consumer Protection (BMUV) announced in a key points paper in June 2023 that it intended to ban shrinkflated packages. The project is reportedly still in the inter-ministerial consultation phase according to a ministry spokesperson. "However, we have not yet been able to reach an agreement with the other ministries," said Federal Minister for the Environment and Consumer Protection Steffi Lemke. "Since many foods are marketed in the same packaging in several EU member states, it is particularly sensible to have uniform European requirements."
In response to these practices, some retailers in France are implementing a new policy to label multi-packs of reduced-size foodstuffs that maintain or increase their prices. This move aims to provide better transparency and consumer protection. Additionally, the rising food prices in France have led to calls for improved labeling of products undergoing "shrinkflation", with similar demands being made in neighboring Germany.
