The Daily Update: Bean counters

The second most popular thing that the British like to complain about, after the weather, is the amount of ‘air’ (which is in fact nitrogen, to keep the product fresh) in a packet of crisps.  

Shrinkflation is a term used to describe the process of a product’s size being reduced while its price remains the same.  

The changes are usually designed to be subtle enough so that shoppers are ignorant of the difference. However, a recent survey found that some two-thirds of shoppers have noticed products shrinking in size while the price remains the same, or even increased. With food prices up 20% in the last year, shoppers are even beginning to change their behaviour. In another survey, 20% of consumers said they have switched to bulk buying in response to the perceived lack of value.  If these trends continue, surely the ongoing validity of this tactic will be re-examined.

It was a recent news story that brought this to the front of our minds.  In what some described as an attack on the great British breakfast, it has been revealed that a can of Heinz Beanz is now 50 percent beans as opposed to 51 percent previously. This means around 10 fewer beans per 415g can. With 2.5 million cans sold in the UK each day, that’s 9,125,000,000 fewer beans on our breakfast plates each year.

Before we start waving our placards, there is a positive note to end on. Farmers and scientists say they are optimistic that a commercial crop of beans sown in Lincolnshire will mark the start of a home-grown favourite. Until now, it has been impossible for farmers to grow the haricot variety used for baked beans in the UK because they are incompatible with the climate. However, scientists have developed a seed they hope will allow the plants to thrive following a 12-year project, thus bringing the prospect of home-grown beans on toast closer to reality. 

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