‘This is what we call ‘skimflation.”
A Redditor says the Black Diamond American cheese she purchased was see-through, prompting one marketing expert who tracks “shrinkflation” to react.
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In a video with over 721,000 views, Melissa Simonson (@realmelissasimo) shares a screenshot of a post on r/shrinkflation. The anonymous Redditor from Canada says they usually purchase No Name brand, but picked up Black Diamond American cheese on sale. But when they opened the package, they noticed the slice of cheese was so thin in the center, it was see-through.
Simonson points to the screenshot in her TikTok, saying, “If your cheese is see-through, I think it’s gotten a little too thin. This is what we call ‘skimflation.’”
How common is ‘shrinkflation’?
Shrinkflation is a sneaky way Simonson claims some companies are cutting costs as food prices soar. Instead of increasing the price, some brands may be ever-so-slightly decreasing the package size—hoping shoppers won’t notice.
See-through cheese isn’t the only product Simonson calls out. In the video, she points out changes in the size of products like pasta sauce, granola, air freshener, and coffee.
The caption reads, “Skimpflation & shrinkflation… with a side of deceptive packaging! So, samesies samesies.” The Daily Dot has previously reported on Simonson’s frequent round-ups of products impacted by shrinkflation, including tampons, chips, and other household essentials.
Workers in the food industry say they’re “not surprised.” They’ve also noticed a dramatic uptick in shrinkflation.
“Retail worker here. It’s been shrinkflation for months. Price changes every week and the ounces just keep going down while staying the same price or going up,” one comments.
Is see-through cheese a result of shrinkflation?
In the comments, shoppers react to the shocking image of the see-through Black Diamond cheese. Some suggest the change could come from using less milk or watering down the ingredients.
“Well how do you think they can make record profits if they give you a full piece of cheese?” one asks.
“TALK ABOUT STRING CHEESE!!!!” another says.
“The cheeese !! I kept thinking I was pressing on them too hard cause there’s always a thumb like hole,” a third adds.
Others say shrinkflation has impacted cheese products in other ways.
“I’ve started seeing Kraft shredded cheese being sold in 7 oz packages instead of the 8 oz package,” a viewer points out.
“Also check if it says ‘dairy’ or ‘milk.’ They now remove the ‘legal level’ of dairy in products so it’s cheaper. Ice cream will say ‘frozen dessert’ instead of ‘ice cream,’” another writes.
@realmelissasimo Skimpflation & shrinkflation… with a side of deceptive packaging! So, samesies samesies. 🤷🏼♀️ #groceryshopping #grocerystore #shrinkflation #shrinktok #grocery #consumer ♬ original sound – Melissa Simonson
The Daily Dot reached out to Simonson via TikTok direct message and comment. We also contacted Black Diamond for further comment.
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