The French supermarket chain Carrefour, which has a strong presence in Belgium, has started to inform its customers of cases of "shrinkflation" involving food products since Monday.
The term refers to the practice by which manufacturers conceal price rises by reducing the quantities sold. For instance a bag of chips might contain slightly fewer though the customer will often not notice.
The decision to label affected products instead of hoping consumers won't notice is part of a transparency effort and follows pressure from the French government with Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire calling shrinkflation a "disgrace". But despite the best intentions of Carrefour, the supermarket giant has come under harsh criticism from consumer rights organisation 60 Millions de Consommateurs.
The group argues that this is simply a move by Carrefour to ingratiate itself with the public by appearing honest. But 60 Millions de Consommateurs says it's just a PR stunt and highlights that the chain has been deceiving shoppers since May through shrinkflation.
Moreover, the list of affected products is only 150, the majority being crisps, mayonnaise, coffee, and a variety of other drinks.
