Anyone can view the database of reduced packages

By: Trademagazin Date: 2024. 03. 01. 13:16

The National Food Chain Safety Office (Nébih) has launched a new, easily accessible database in which product shrinkage measured between January 1, 2020 and July 1, 2023 is presented. A phenomenon known as shrink inflation refers to the reduction in weight or volume of products without a change in price.

Customers are often unaware that they are getting less volume for the same amount. In addition to the database, it became mandatory for food trading companies to post a clearly visible notice from March if the packaging of a product is reduced, especially if their annual sales exceed HUF 1 billion.

Many product groups are represented in Nébih’s database, such as packaged salmon, ice cream, toothpaste, cold cuts and even toilet paper. In the case of the latter, the approach is particularly refined, as they do not mention the change in the size of the rolls, but rather the number of sheets on one roll, which is less noticeable to customers.

Gabriella Heiszler, managing director of the Hungarian Spar, expressed her criticism in an interview regarding making product labels mandatory. According to him, they will not be able to fully comply with the regulation, because even if they ask for statements from the suppliers regarding the dimensions of the product, various small changes always slip through in one way or another.