LC-31 · Consumer
Shrinkflation
Same box, quieter contents
In ordinary words
A maker can reduce the chips in the bag or the sheets on the roll and keep the package looking the same, if the net quantity on the label is accurate.
Why people call it a crime
It feels like a sneaky price hike, the kind of thing a fraud statute should cover. Accurate small print usually saves it.
A scene, not a hypothetical statute
The cereal box does not shrink. The ounces on the side drop from 19 to 16. The shelf price holds. You notice three weeks later. The label was telling the truth in small type.
In legal terms
The Fair Packaging and Labeling Act, 15 U.S.C. §§ 1451–1461, requires a truthful net-quantity statement. It does not freeze package size. The FTC can pursue deceptive packaging that misrepresents quantity, including non-functional slack fill under the FTC Act in some contexts. A smaller true net weight is generally lawful.
The law polices false labels, not package familiarity. Manufacturers may change quantity if they change the disclosure.
15 U.S.C. §§ 1451–1461; 15 U.S.C. § 45.
Where it stops being legal
A label that states the old weight, a picture that implies a full measure the package does not contain, or non-functional empty space used to deceive can be an unfair or deceptive practice.