If you like slathering your pasta in Classico sauce, then a TikToker named Andertam (@andertam) has some bad news for you. She says the company recently reduced the amount of sauce it is giving customers while maintaining the same price.
Other outraged Classico customers also looked into the brand’s ingredients list to see if it was cutting corners there as well.
Andteram posted her findings in a viral TikTok that’s accrued over 392,000 views.
Et tu, Classico?
“This is a little public service announcement for all my Classico-loving friends.” The TikToker holds up a jar of the popular pasta sauce brand: its Four Cheese (Quatre Fromages) offering.
“I’m sure some of you’ve caught on to this already, but went shopping for some sauce recently and thought, ‘Oh look, Classico changed their labels. That’s so nice,’” she says while placing a jar of the sauce on her kitchen counter.
Following this, she sets a newer jar of Classico down on the counter next to the brand’s former packaging. At first glance, it looks like Classico has reduced the amount of sauce in its jars. And Andertam quickly confirmed that this is the case.
50ml less
According to the TikToker, the new jar didn’t just come with an updated label and a different shape. It’s now coming with less sauce, which she explains while pointing out the disparity, which is clearly labeled on the jar’s stickers. “Nope. It’s shrinkflation—650,” she says, referring to the ml content of the older jar, “600,” she adds, referencing the newer jar’s label.
Andteram continued to state that it isn’t as if Classico is suddenly charging less for its sauce, either. “We are losing 50ml for the same price now in the new Classico jar. So, if you’re out shopping, look for the thicker lid and the 650. There’s still some out there. Grab ’em while you can before we’re paying more for less.”
Shrinkflation in recent years
If you’re unfamiliar with the term, Andtertam did a fairly good job of summing up what this phenomenon is. Shrinkflation is when businesses reduce the quantity of a product it sells but maintains the same pricing. In some cases, item quantities lower, and the price still goes up.
Throughout 2021-2024, inflation has done a number on the United States economy. In June of 2022, inflation hit a 40-year high, which, coupled with soaring gas prices, wreaked havoc on consumers’ bank accounts. Other necessities, like food, were subjected to turgid price hikes, as well.
Furthermore, the USDA states that while the rate of inflation did indeed decelerate in 2024, it still went up. Overall, the cost of food products increased by 2.3 percent.
Other instances
Examples of shrinkflation have been documented by various individuals on social media. Reddit even has a dedicated sub where users on the platform share examples of products they use that have gone down in size throughout the years. For example, microwavable prepared food offerings that used to be filled to “almost the top of the bin” are now only about half full.
Or, prepared sausage, egg, and cheese sandwiches one person swore were once larger. Another person also highlighted how misleading packaging sometimes hid the amount of product inside it, like this Amazon Fresh box of Farfalle pasta. In this particular post, a redditor highlights how the box is identical in size to other brands. However, Amazon’s offering contains a quarter less pasta: The others sell them in 1lb boxes.
Amazon’s Farfalle, however, comes in a 3/4lb box. “What psycho designs, manufactures, and sells 3/4LB of pasta?” the Reddit user questioned.
The Daily Dot has previously covered one Costco shopper’s disappointment with Kirkland’s paper towels. The bulk retailer was once known for being an unbeatable value for products in this segment. However, one TikToker compared newer Kirkland paper towel rolls to an older one. As it turns out, Costco removed 20 sheets per roll. And to make matters worse, the TikToker said the paper quality isn’t as good now.
@andertam A little Classico #shrinkflation PSA for you all… #economy #inflation #fyp #groceries #millennial #classico #guelph ♬ original sound – andertam
TikTokers chime in
One commenter questioned if the ingredients listed on the jars were the same. Andertam addressed this in a follow-up video, stating that on an old jar, tomato puree was listed as the first ingredient. However on newer Classico containers, water was listed as the first ingredient.
This is significant because, on product labeling, ingredients are listed in order of concentration percentage. The first ingredient = the highest amount. The second ingredient = the second highest amount, and so on.
Andertam did state that it was difficult for a true side-by-side comparison as she had differing varieties of Classico sauce. One redditor confirmed that Classico, in addition to cutting down the size of its jars, Classico changed the recipe for its Four Cheese sauce. In a discussion with other folks who were irate about the brand’s smaller jars, a commenter posted two Walmart links. One contained product information for the Four Cheese’s 650ml jar. The other was for its supposedly identical updated 600ml offering.
The latter jar indeed lists water as its first ingredient, but the older, larger jar lists tomato puree.
The Daily Dot has reached out to Classico via email and Andertam via TikTok comment for further information.
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