Over the years, many internet users have taken note of the idea of shrinkflation. This refers to a concept in which the size of items gets smaller, while the price of the item in the store remains the same—or, in some cases, increases.
Some users have called out deceptive packaging being employed to mask the true size of an item. Others have noted that new designs for products like Campbell’s soup appear to be larger while actually containing less product. Even more alleged that the amount of chips in a bag has been significantly reduced, despite the bag appearing to be the same size.
Now, another user has sparked discussion after discovering another product appearing to be experiencing shrinkflation: Texas Toast.
@thegovsgirl Shrinkflation?? anyone have an older box? #texastoast #handsize #bighandas😊😄 #smallbread ♬ original sound
In her video, TikTok user Lacey Burns (@thegovsgirl) shows several slices of New York Bakery Texas Toast removed from their container. Each slice is smaller than her hand.
“Does anyone remember how big these were? Because these are really small,” she details in the video. She then shows the amount of Texas Toast in the box, noting that there is a sizable gap between the edges of the box and the product itself.
Upon further examination, it’s unclear whether the brand shown by Burns has actually witnessed shrinkflation or if she’s used to Texas Toast from another brand. The product shown in the video is New York Bakery® Five Cheese Texas Toast. On the company’s website, it states the weight of the package is 13.5 ounces.
Using the Internet Archive’s Wayback Machine, one can see that this sizing is consistent with how the product was made in 2020. This is the same weight given for a similar product back in 2017. Therefore, if this brand’s Texas Toast used to be larger, it had to have been before 2017,
That said, commenters claimed that the pieces of Texas Toast were, in fact, smaller while noting their own shrinkflation experiences.
“Oh 100% they shrunk them. They did the same with Hostess Snack Cakes,” wrote a user
“Forreal, I bought breakfast sausages recently and i SWEAR they’re smaller than they used to be,” stated another. “They make things smaller AND charge more and i hate it.”
“I’m just struggling out here with these prices and the products we get for it,” Burns summarized in response to a comment.
The Daily Dot reached out to New York Bakery via website contact form and Burns via Instagram direct message.
