Brands such as Gallo, Cola-Cao, Danone, Pescanova, Tulipán, Revilla, Campofrío or Pepsi resort to what experts call ‘reduction’
It’s called ‘reflagging’ and it’s the ruse with which brands make their products more expensive without, apparently, changing their price. How? Well, very simple, modifying its packaging to offer less quantity in it. It is nothing new, but the OCU warns that in recent months it is becoming a common practice, so
prices could be going higher than the official data indicates.
“We have detected that some food manufacturers are reducing the content of their packaging by between 5% and 10% to mislead consumers and not notice the price increase,” says the Organization of Consumers and Users, which cites the examples of brands such as Gallo, Cola-Cao, Danone, Pescanova, Tulipán, Revilla, Campofrío or Pepsi. They are the following:
The brands that distort the price
Chorizo Revilla. The Revilla chorizo envelope is sold at a fixed price of one euro, as indicated on the packaging, but before it contained 80 grams of sausage but now it contains only 70 grams. Before I had 14 slices of chorizo… and now only 12.
Campofrío cooked ham. A container of 110 grams of cooked ham sold for one euro, which a few months ago became 100. «Now -says the OCU-, it has launched a promotion in which it gives away 10% more on a container that contains 90 grams . The price is still one euro and, when the promotion ends, you will have almost 20% less ham than at the beginning of the process”.
Pepsi. The two-liter bottle has given way to the 1.75-liter bottle, a change that has also coincided with an increase in prices; in 2021 the average price of this product was 1.33 euros and now it rises to 1.48, so the reduction here seeks to mask an even higher price increase.
Pescanova hake. The package of hake loins seems to have reduced its price by 5.6%, but a closer look reveals that the package has gone from containing 400 grams to having 360, 10% less. Taking this into account, we find that the price has actually increased by 3.2%.
Spaghetti and macaroni Gallo. They appear to have risen 3.7% and 4.1% respectively, when in reality, if we take into account their new content, “they have hit a 15.2 and 15.7% high.”
Danone Activia yogurts. They have lost five grams (they now each weigh 120 grams), which can easily go unnoticed.
Cola-Cao. The 400 gram can has been replaced by one of 383 and the 800, by one of 760.
Tulip. The 500-gram tub is now 450 and the 250-gram tub has lost 25 grams
To avoid being deceived or at least buying being aware of what we are actually paying, it is best to ignore the claims that we see on the packaging (highlighting that it is a special promotion or that the package only costs one euro ) Y
look at the price per kilo or literwhich is information that supermarkets are obliged to offer us.