There’s nothing worse than opening a bag of chips and seeing that the pack is mostly air. However, for TikToker Spearce (@sarpearce), Lay’s took the air-to-bag ratio a step too far. She wrote in the on-screen caption of a now-viral video, “Frito-Lay, I have beef with you.”
“So I just bought this box of chips the other day,” she said, pointing to a variety box of Doritos, Funyuns, Lay’s, and Flamin’ Hot Cheetos. “It was like $10.99 at our grocery store. I was like, ‘Oh, I’ll have some of those chips.’ I wanted the salt and vinegar flavor.” However, the creator said she felt little more than “air” and “crumbs” when she shook the unopened bag of chips she had selected to eat.
To show viewers what she meant, she then proceeded to open the bag of chips on camera. The contents appeared to be just a small handful of chips that barely filled the bottom of the bag. Yet, Spearce said that, according to Lay’s’ packaging, these chips are meant to equal 160 calories.
@sarpearce @Frito-Lay count your days 🙃 #imfull #snack #stuffed ♬ Oh No – Kreepa
The clip has been viewed 568,900 views as of publication, and while numerous TikTok users tagged Lay’s in the comments, the brand does not appear to have spoken publicly about the issue. Frito-Lay didn’t immediately respond to the Daily Dot’s request for comment via email.
One commenter said, “I was preparing myself for the worst, but I was still shocked,” while another added, “This has been happening for over a year. I have had as few as 5 chips in a bag so I stopped buying them.”
Spearce didn’t immediately respond to the Daily Dot’s request for comment via TikTok comment.
Why is there so much air inside Lay’s?
While Spearce’s complaint is far from uncommon, there might be a reasonable explanation as to why the amount of potato chips in Lay’s is so sparse. In 2022, TikToker Selena Aragon (@selenaaragon7) went viral after claiming to work as a merchandiser for Frito-Lay.
In a series of TikToks on her account, she explained that the air inside the chips pack actually served the purpose of keeping the chips’ flavor fresh and ensuring that there was plenty of padding as the chips went through transit.
“Frito-Lay is not trying to scam you,” she said in the video. “They tell you how much chips you’re getting when you buy the bag.”
Update 8:41am CT, May 15: In an email to the Daily Dot, Frito-Lay shared the following statement:
“Sarah is a valued customer and we are currently in touch about her experience. We’re committed to the highest standards of quality and our teams are looking into what may have led to this situation.”
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