MCVITIE’S has been branded “sneaky” for shrinking Jaffa Cakes — but not cutting the price.
The treats are a tenth smaller, going from 5.5cm to 5cm across, while the orange bump is down from 4cm to just 3cm.
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Boxes are the same size and still hold ten — but the cakes are now 11g from 12.2g and their total weight has vanished from the packaging.
Experts say it amounts to shrinkflation where shoppers get less product with no price cut.
Furious Jaffa Cake fan Ben Scott, 36, from Margate, Kent, said: “You wouldn’t notice from the packaging. The old and the new boxes are identical to look at.
“But it’s glaringly obvious with the old and new cakes side by side. The orange jelly bump, my favourite bit, is tiny compared to before.”
Retail expert Sarah Coles said: “Shrinkflation feels slightly sneaky but cutting cake size rather than taking one out the pack — and having no weight on the box — means it’s incredibly difficult to spot. You’d need to turn detective. Even when comparing two boxes the only way you’d know something had changed would be in the nutritional content.”
Ele Clark, retail editor at Which?, said: “Manufacturers just seem to be hoping that customers won’t notice they’re paying more for less. Examples like this take the biscuit.”
McVitie’s owner Pladis said it had cut the weight of Jaffa Cakes to hold the price while “input costs increase”.
