TikToker Alanah Cole (@alanahcole) has a bone to pick with Pop-Tarts. The social media user believes that the product manufacturer could be putting more value inside of its boxes.
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In a viral TikTok that’s accrued over 18,000 views, Cole called out the brand for its 8-count boxes. She demonstrates that its current box size has additional room for an extra two-tart package.
A number of other users on the app agreed with her sentiment. Additionally, some expressed different Pop-Tarts gripes of their own.
“I bought a box of Pop-Tarts,” she says. Next, she turns the packaging over to reveal negative space inside of the box. There are clearly four separate shiny wrappers containing two Pop-Tarts a piece. However, she believes the brand should stick another two Pop-Tarts inside of the box. This way, customers can get 10 tarts in a box that usually contains 8.
“I just wanted to let Pop-Tart know that there is enough room for five packages. So, you just need to add one more here, in this pack of eight. … There’s definitely enough room for another one,” she says to close out her video.”
Missing tarts
This isn’t the first time Pop-Tarts drama has been documented on TikTok. One consumer of the popular snack also had a packaging gripe. However, it was with a discount appended by a retailer as a result of tarts that had vanished.
The supermarket stated that the box in question had some Pop-Tarts missing from it. Consequently, the shop decided to offer a marked-down price on the food item. However, several commenters replied that the discount didn’t seem to make sense. That’s because customers were paying for almost half of its originally advertised amount.
It didn’t seem that the price-per-tart ratio was being reflected in the proposed discount. Furthermore, others expressed concerns over potential tampering with the item’s contents. As a result, they didn’t believe the shop should even sell the box in the first place.
The Daily Dot covered another Pop-Tarts customer’s grievances with the brand. After buying a box of what appears to be the Frosted Brown Sugar Cinnamon variety, she noticed one tart contained a reduced amount of frosting. She showed it off to the camera: It was a mostly bare tart with two gobs of light-brown colored frosting dabbed on top of it.
One person who responded to Cole’s video stated that they thought this was an instance of shrinkflation. That’s because they claim Pop-Tarts used to be sold in packs of 10. However, the brand wanted to save money but still maintain the appearance of value. So it removed two tarts from its boxes but kept them the same size.
“There used to be a 5th. But they didn’t want to be obvious and change the box when they applied the skrinkflation.”
Another user on the application echoed the aforementioned statement. “Used to be 5 too,” they penned.
Search results for Pop-Tarts packaging reveals that the brand does have a 10-pack offering. However, it’s for its Pop-Tarts Pastry Bites: miniature versions of the widely available food. Most Pop-Tarts appear to be offered in multiples of fours: 8, 12, 16, 24, 48, and 64-count versions are available.
@alanahcole ♬ original sound – Alanah Cole
Opposing reactions
One user on the application remarked that the extra space inside of the box is to maintain tart structural integrity. “Honestly it’s probably to allow for movement that doesn’t cause breakage during shipping.”
Another person on the application had a request of their own. “While we’re all here. Can we also update the packaging. So the crust of the pop tart isn’t obliterated by the time I get home with it! [expletive] man!”
Someone else thinks that Kellogg’s could take the time to add nomenclature to individual wrappers. This way, they can indicate what type of Pop Tarts are inside the box so folks know what’s inside. “It’s also 2025 and we have the technology to add the flavor on the wrapper! Other brands do it, so follow in their footsteps!”
The Daily Dot has reached out to Pop-Tarts and Cole via email for further comment.
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