Fury as Jaffa Cakes are cut in size with McVitie’s accused of 'shrinkflation'

15 September 2023, 20:53

McVitie’s have been accused of 'shrinkflation' after cutting the size of Jaffa Cakes in the latest bid from high street brands to cut costs.

The popular treats have been made a tenth smaller, going from 5.5 to 5cm across.

The tangy orange bump has also been made smaller, being cut from from 4cm to 3cm while the weight of each cake has gone from 12.2g to 11g, according to the Sun.

Boxes have stayed the same size, each packing 10 Jaffa Cakes - but the overall weight is no longer shown on the packaging.

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The subtle changes have not gone unnoticed, with fans of the treat comparing the cakes side by side.

According to the paper, Ben Scott, 36, from Margate, Kent, said: “You wouldn’t notice from the packaging. The old and the new boxes are identical to look at.

“But it’s glaringly obvious with the old and new cakes side by side. The orange jelly bump, my favourite bit, is tiny compared to before.”

Retail expert Sarah Coles said: “Shrinkflation feels slightly sneaky but cutting cake size rather than taking one out the pack — and having no weight on the box — means it’s incredibly difficult to spot. You’d need to turn detective.

“Even when comparing two boxes, the only way you’d know something had changed would be in the nutritional content.”

A spokesman for McVities' parent company Pladis said: "Like many manufacturers in the UK and around the world, we continue to see our input costs increase. 

"Despite this, we are working hard to minimise the impact on our products and keep our prices accessible.

"This is why we’ve made the decision to slightly reduce the weight of our Jaffa Cakes products, while ensuring that each cake still includes plenty of our signature crackly chocolate and orange centre."