Santitas Tortilla Chips customers are once again slamming the brand for the number of chips packaged in its bags, as shown in a resurfaced photo.
The photo features three bags of Santitas chips turned upside down. The chips are in mostly clear packaging. The top portion of the packaging is opaque. So the shopper who downturned all the chips on the shelf seemingly did so in order to show just how many chips in relation to air are in the bag.
The photo is also not new. The photo has been around for at least six years and goes viral every so often. It often goes viral with this caption or a variation of it: “I went ahead and exposed them.” While it’s unclear who the original poster was, many users have tried to claim ownership over it.
Most recently, the image reappeared on TikTok. TikToker Modis Memes (@modis.memes) reposted in on Saturday. And it’s since gone viral, with 119,000 views and tons of discourse.
The case for airy chip bags?
Are airy bags actually a good thing?
Nitrogen generation company Pneumatech notes that nitrogen gas added to chip bags is “the secret to crispy chips.” According to Onsite Gas, “Nitrogen helps protect your food’s color, flavor, odor, and structural integrity.”
One viewer of Modis Memes’ TikTok acknowledged this, saying, “If they took all the air out and didn’t leave space all of the chips would be broken. Do you want all your broken chips that you can’t use for dip or do you want a whole chip with some air in the bag.”
However, most customers don’t really like to see their chip bags full of air and can’t help but feel scammed by companies that do this. Just take a look at Modis Memes’ other comments.
“Watch next they are going to get rid of transparent bags,” one viewer wrote.
“30% chip, 70% air. Man that’s wild,” another said.
“I thought Santitas were the good guys,” a third said.
A fourth dubbed this shrinkflation. And they said the phenomenon where corporations sell consumers less product for the same or even more money was the “ultimate slap in the face.”
Other complaints
While this photo is years’ old, there have been more recent, similar complaints against the brand.
In her video, a TikToker who goes by Ms. Tracy (@ms.tracy57) holds the bag upside down to also expose the air in it.
“So we just got home. We’re like yay chips!” she starts. “You mean air? It, it’s just, like one-third chips.”
Moreover, a Redditor posted a photo of themselves holding a bag of chips to the Shrinkflation subreddit and criticized the brand.
“I don’t remember the $2 Santitas tortilla chips bag being literally half way filled with air,” the poster said. “And now they’re $2.29!!??”
The Daily Dot has reached out to Santitas via email and to Modis Memes via TikTok comment.
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