Since supermarket inflation skyrocketed this time last year, the value for money of products has dropped due to several tactics, from shrinkflation to false pricing of maxi-packs. However, the latest trend, "cheapflation", is deemed the most harmful so far.
"Cheapflation" – a contraction of "cheap" and "inflation" – is a cunning sales trick which sees producers reduce, remove or replace the most expensive ingredient in products with cheaper or lower-quality substitutes. Meanwhile, the price of the product remains the same.
This phenomenon is nothing new but is merely one in a series of tactics observed by consumer rights organisations since supermarket inflation rose. Some producers saw this as an opportunity to take advantage of the situation and make extra profits under the disguise of inflation. These practices were grouped under the name "greedflation".
"We have long observed shrinkflation and bad value for money maxi packs," Laura Clays, spokesperson for consumer protection organisation Test Achats, told The Brussels Times. "However, these tactics were mainly dubious from a financial point of view. This is still unacceptable, but consumers were able to protect themselves by keeping an eye on the price per unit."
She stressed that in the case of "cheapflation", the consumer is left more or less powerless. "This tactic is really about what people are ingesting, which is even more sneaky. While this will likely not have major health effects, eating less fishy fish sticks is definitely not a healthier meal option, so that's not ideal."
Chickenless chicken soup
While Test Achats was aware of "cheapflation" affecting consumers in Belgium, figures on the phenomenon were lacking. However, the Consumers' Association in the Netherlands has now published research on how the tactic has significantly reduced the quality of at least 24 products in the country.
Some of the examples cited by the organisation include chicken soup in which the percentage of chicken dropped from 8.6% to 5.8% in just six years. In Albert Heijn's fish sticks, the fish content dropped from 75% to 55%. One forest fruit-flavoured grenadine saw the percentage of fruit content drop from 19% to just 6%. Finally, in Bertolli's "Liquid" cooking oil, the proportion of olive oil went from 20% to 7%.
"The conclusions that can be drawn from the products where essential ingredients are reduced can certainly be extended to Belgium," Clays said.
In response, several manufacturers acknowledge that they put less of the main ingredient in the product, but argue that this is necessary because of the cost increase, and that their hands are tied. However, studies have shown many major companies in the Belgian food industry have, on average, raised their prices more than necessary and are profiting from the crisis.
Very difficult to check
Importantly, consumers are not informed about the alteration in any way. "Producers are hardly going to write 'fish sticks, now with less fish' on their packaging," said Clays, nor are they going to advertise that their hazelnut paste contains fewer hazelnuts or a reduction of minced meat in bolognese sauce.
"While manufacturers usually do widely publicise an increase in these ingredients, however small, or a decrease in unhealthier ingredients such as salt." Consumer protection organisations have therefore called on manufacturers to be much more transparent about this. "But this is a difficult obligation to impose."
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In the meantime, it seems there is little consumers can do. "We can hardly expect people to learn ingredient lists by heart to make their own comparisons. We can say that, the more processed the product is, the easier it is to replace or reduce those ingredients," Clays said.
"For example, if you buy a packet of fresh fish, you can see the exact weight of the fish. But with fish sticks, you can't analyse over the years what the change in ingredients is, so that is something consumers can pay attention to," she concluded.
