Author Topic: Food inflation kept hidden in smaller packaging  (Read 67722 times)

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Online IronDioPriest

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Re: Food inflation kept hidden in smaller packaging
« Reply #60 on: October 26, 2011, 09:16:22 PM »
A staple in our home is Smuckers raspberry preserves. The last two jars I've noticed something odd, that I'll see as a pattern if it happens a third time. It's thicker; more substantive; less watery.

Now, perhaps one would think that's a good thing. Less filler, more fruit. But the thing is, it's more difficult to spread. You cannot spread as thin a layer on a piece of bread or toast, so it takes more preserves to cover it. I would guess nearly twice as much.

I kinda liked it at the beginning of the first jar (more preserves, num-num), until I started realizing that the food was being depleted much faster than ever before. Once I realized it, I started thinking of the premise of this thread, and wondering....

 ::thinking::
"A strict observance of the written laws is doubtless one of the high duties of a good citizen, but it is not the highest. The laws of necessity, of self-preservation, of saving our country when in danger, are of higher obligation. To lose our country by a scrupulous adherence to written law, would be to lose the law itself, with life, liberty, property and all those who are enjoying them with us; thus absurdly sacrificing the end to the means."

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Offline Libertas

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Re: Food inflation kept hidden in smaller packaging
« Reply #61 on: October 26, 2011, 09:26:46 PM »
Hmmm....could some the additives that made it thinner/smoother be more costly than the fruit and other ingredients?  About the only thing that makes sense.  Sugar and its byproducts are up these past several years.  There has to be an economic reason behind it somewhere.
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Offline John Florida

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Re: Food inflation kept hidden in smaller packaging
« Reply #62 on: October 26, 2011, 09:37:46 PM »
Hmmm....could some the additives that made it thinner/smoother be more costly than the fruit and other ingredients?  About the only thing that makes sense.  Sugar and its byproducts are up these past several years.  There has to be an economic reason behind it somewhere.

 Or they figured out a way to up their sales without increasing their customers.
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Re: Food inflation kept hidden in smaller packaging
« Reply #63 on: October 26, 2011, 10:45:27 PM »
A staple in our home is Smuckers raspberry preserves. The last two jars I've noticed something odd, that I'll see as a pattern if it happens a third time. It's thicker; more substantive; less watery.

Now, perhaps one would think that's a good thing. Less filler, more fruit. But the thing is, it's more difficult to spread. You cannot spread as thin a layer on a piece of bread or toast, so it takes more preserves to cover it. I would guess nearly twice as much.

I kinda liked it at the beginning of the first jar (more preserves, num-num), until I started realizing that the food was being depleted much faster than ever before. Once I realized it, I started thinking of the premise of this thread, and wondering....

 ::thinking::

I was thrilled with Muir Glen pureed tomatoes about ten years ago; it was so thick it needed a whole can of water per -- to thin it to the proper consistency for "pasta sauce", otherwise known as gravy.

Five years ago, I noticed a radical change in the consistency; much thinner and soupier.

I still buy the brand, but I remain disappointed in the lesser quality.
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Re: Food inflation kept hidden in smaller packaging
« Reply #64 on: October 27, 2011, 02:26:25 AM »
A staple in our home is Smuckers raspberry preserves. The last two jars I've noticed something odd, that I'll see as a pattern if it happens a third time. It's thicker; more substantive; less watery.

Smucker's.

I grew up in the South, and though we had another brand (whose name escapes me at the moment), we had apple jelly.  We had apple butter, apple cider, apple vinegar.  Gawd, we  had apple pies.  (Now I love a good PB&J with apple jelly -- and a thin slice of sharp cheddar.)  A lot of food 'apple' being served down South.  Then I move to New York, a well known apple growing state.  What can't I find in grocery stores?  Apple jelly!  The last time I had apple jelly was a Christmas gift mail order of a 12 pack of Smucker's around 4 years ago.  Like 6 apple jellies, 3 apple butters, and 3 of mixed something else.  So here I live in an apple growing state and I have to get apple jelly mail order.  There's a number of grocery stores within walking distance around me, though none of the 'superstore' size.  No apple jelly.  Anywhere.  They all sell Smucker's Mint Apple Jelly, though.  Now who the f-ck buys mint apple jelly?  It most certainly does not make a good PB&J.

Now as to your problem with the thickness, I wish I had a chance to make such a complaint about Smucker's -- or anyone's -- Apple Jelly.

Offline LadyVirginia

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Re: Food inflation kept hidden in smaller packaging
« Reply #65 on: October 27, 2011, 10:48:14 AM »
The ingredients:

Ingredients:

RED RASPBERRIES, HIGH FRUCTOSE CORN SYRUP, CORN SYRUP, FRUIT PECTIN, CITRIC ACID.


Corn products are used a lot because they're so cheap.  Perhaps they've increased the corn syrup which is pretty think.  It may only appear to be more fruit because it's thicker and sweeter.

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Offline Predator Don

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Re: Food inflation kept hidden in smaller packaging
« Reply #66 on: October 27, 2011, 11:12:31 AM »
A staple in our home is Smuckers raspberry preserves. The last two jars I've noticed something odd, that I'll see as a pattern if it happens a third time. It's thicker; more substantive; less watery.

Now, perhaps one would think that's a good thing. Less filler, more fruit. But the thing is, it's more difficult to spread. You cannot spread as thin a layer on a piece of bread or toast, so it takes more preserves to cover it. I would guess nearly twice as much.

I kinda liked it at the beginning of the first jar (more preserves, num-num), until I started realizing that the food was being depleted much faster than ever before. Once I realized it, I started thinking of the premise of this thread, and wondering....

 ::thinking::


Ahhh..... Smuckers.


With a name like Smuckers it has to be good.
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Offline Libertas

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Re: Food inflation kept hidden in smaller packaging
« Reply #67 on: October 27, 2011, 11:15:28 AM »
The ingredients:

Ingredients:

RED RASPBERRIES, HIGH FRUCTOSE CORN SYRUP, CORN SYRUP, FRUIT PECTIN, CITRIC ACID.


Corn products are used a lot because they're so cheap.  Perhaps they've increased the corn syrup which is pretty think.  It may only appear to be more fruit because it's thicker and sweeter.



I would wager you are correct.
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Re: Food inflation kept hidden in smaller packaging
« Reply #68 on: October 27, 2011, 02:18:22 PM »
So to clarify my thought in case it wasn't clear, I'm wondering if Smuckers intentionally thickened the preserves so that people would use more product per serving. That is certainly the result in our house.
"A strict observance of the written laws is doubtless one of the high duties of a good citizen, but it is not the highest. The laws of necessity, of self-preservation, of saving our country when in danger, are of higher obligation. To lose our country by a scrupulous adherence to written law, would be to lose the law itself, with life, liberty, property and all those who are enjoying them with us; thus absurdly sacrificing the end to the means."

- Thomas Jefferson

Offline LadyVirginia

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Re: Food inflation kept hidden in smaller packaging
« Reply #69 on: October 27, 2011, 02:43:09 PM »
So to clarify my thought in case it wasn't clear, I'm wondering if Smuckers intentionally thickened the preserves so that people would use more product per serving. That is certainly the result in our house.

wouldn't surprise me at all if there was an attempt to do that
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Offline BMG

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Re: Food inflation kept hidden in smaller packaging
« Reply #70 on: November 12, 2011, 05:11:11 PM »
http://shine.yahoo.com/shine-food/most-expensive-thanksgiving-dinner-ever-super-savers-guide-180200325.html

Quote
Can you afford to give thanks this year? The American Farm Bureau Federation is predicting the average 10 person turkey dinner will cost 13 percent more than it did last year. Expect to shell out at least $50 bucks for the average 10 person turkey dinner. That's the highest price for the holiday meal on record.
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Re: Food inflation kept hidden in smaller packaging
« Reply #71 on: November 12, 2011, 05:18:48 PM »
http://shine.yahoo.com/shine-food/most-expensive-thanksgiving-dinner-ever-super-savers-guide-180200325.html

Quote
Can you afford to give thanks this year? The American Farm Bureau Federation is predicting the average 10 person turkey dinner will cost 13 percent more than it did last year. Expect to shell out at least $50 bucks for the average 10 person turkey dinner. That's the highest price for the holiday meal on record.

That's -- average -- $5 a meal.

I've heard this on the "news" twice in as many days.  Funny, I don't remember hearing any such thing during GW's tenure, just the usual, ever present whinging about the pore&starvin' on Thanksgiving so give to the shelters and food banks.
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Offline BMG

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Re: Food inflation kept hidden in smaller packaging
« Reply #72 on: November 12, 2011, 08:30:55 PM »
It's pretty telling Pan, that under Obama food prices have skyrocketed and the media is largely silent on that fact. And of course, as you point out, under Bush we got to hear all about the poor and starving, etc. Well, they weren't starving nearly as much under Bush as they are under Obama!
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Offline Delnorin

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Re: Food inflation kept hidden in smaller packaging
« Reply #73 on: November 20, 2011, 10:00:54 PM »
Natural Valley Peanut Butter Granola Bars:  We've been buying 1-2 boxes of these every week for over a year now.  My daughter has ciliac disease (complications which came after she acquired Diabetes type I) and these are tasty and one of the very few things she's still allowed to eat.

This week we opened up the box... opened up individual wrapper and.... what the?

They shrank about 3/4 of an inch in length and shrank in both thickness and width.. and there is now only about 1/4 the peanut butter on them as before.

Bah.. just a fluke.. open up the next wrapper.. same... next... same... next.. same.  Boooo!!

Same price though.  Don't want to make us think we're getting screwed up the arse, now do they?

Offline Papa Bear

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Re: Food inflation kept hidden in smaller packaging
« Reply #74 on: November 21, 2011, 10:00:50 AM »
A staple in our home is Smuckers raspberry preserves. The last two jars I've noticed something odd, that I'll see as a pattern if it happens a third time. It's thicker; more substantive; less watery.

Now, perhaps one would think that's a good thing. Less filler, more fruit. But the thing is, it's more difficult to spread. You cannot spread as thin a layer on a piece of bread or toast, so it takes more preserves to cover it. I would guess nearly twice as much.


Corn syrup makes preserves more spreadable. The cost of corn (syrup) has nearly doubled since 2010. I'd bet that Smuckers has changed the recipe for preserves.


There is a triple whammy that is causing the food inflation:

1.) The primary cause is the use of ethanol in our gasoline.
  • If there is any net energy benefit from the use of ethanol in gas, it is probably non-existent.
  • Ethanol has much lower energy content than gasoline. Cars require more ethanol/gasoline to go the same distance that pure gasoline will take them
  • Production of ethanol is energy intensive. At best, ethanol contains about 34% more energy than what was used to produce it.
2.) The Fed's devaluation of the dollar (i.e. QE1, QE2, etc.) has caused all fungible commodity prices to increase
3.) More crop land used to produce ethanol = less crop land available for food and more expensive food prices

Offline LadyVirginia

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Re: Food inflation kept hidden in smaller packaging
« Reply #75 on: November 21, 2011, 10:30:21 AM »
Wonder what sugar cheaper than corn syrup?  I was under the impression that it was cheaper than other forms of sugar.  Perhaps not any more.
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Re: Food inflation kept hidden in smaller packaging
« Reply #76 on: November 21, 2011, 10:35:49 AM »
Wonder what sugar cheaper than corn syrup?  I was under the impression that it was cheaper than other forms of sugar.  Perhaps not any more.

It was cheaper than sugar, because the sugar-growers in this country are subsidized (and tariff-protected), until the Feds started doing the same thing with ethanol.

I have no idea if the synthetics are cheaper or not.
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charlesoakwood

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Re: Food inflation kept hidden in smaller packaging
« Reply #77 on: November 21, 2011, 10:58:38 AM »

Maybe they'll start using sugar in Dr.Pepper again.

Offline Libertas

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Re: Food inflation kept hidden in smaller packaging
« Reply #78 on: November 21, 2011, 11:30:28 AM »
I want old old coke back!  I don't know what was in that stuff, but it had a damn good bite to it and could clean the rust off of bolts!
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Offline Damn_Lucky

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Re: Food inflation kept hidden in smaller packaging
« Reply #79 on: November 22, 2011, 05:34:41 PM »
Hey RickZ
Quote
Now who the f-ck buys mint apple jelly?  It most certainly does not make a good PB&J.
No but it goes great with Lamb..........NY.........Nuff said.

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