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If Vegetables Get Smaller and More Expensive....

(11 Posts)
Crumbly159 Wed 05-Aug-26 13:12:00

.....I'm sure the first casualty with be the average packet of crisps.

Which you will need a mortgage to purchase, the way things are going.

Due to shrinkflation a packet has gone from 28g to 25g and even 23g.

How many packets does a manufacturer get from an average King Edward?

David49 Wed 05-Aug-26 13:33:31

Yields of crops across Europe are low because of high temperatures, we can expect smaller higher priced food items as supermarkets compete for supplies.

Many farms have used all their irrigation water and are harvesting what crop they have got regardless of yield.

AGAA4 Wed 05-Aug-26 13:35:24

Not enough rain so vegetables aren't growing to a normal.size. I've noticed the broccoli is smaller and the cauliflower.
Supermarkets don't want to raise prices so food items are smaller but stay the same price xxx

AGAA4 Wed 05-Aug-26 13:35:57

Ignore the xxx. Silly phone!

Lathyrus3 Wed 05-Aug-26 13:53:35

Many years ago I worked in a crisp factory.

Lorries deliver the sacks of potatoes which are then stacked.

At a later point they are taken and unloaded into the peeling machines.

Workers then inspect the peeled potatoes in water and cut out eyes or diseased parts and cut any large ones that would jam the cutting machine.

The cut crisps dry slightly on a belt and go into the fat.

They emerge on a belt and workers inspect and remove any burnt bits. Also any that are over large. This is important because overlarge crisps affect the seal on the packet.
At this point any flavouring powder is applied.

The crisps travel, cooling, on another belt that takes them to the packing machines. The packed crisps travel to a number of worker stations where they are inspected to ensure the seal is tight and packed into boxes of 48.
Where the seal is not tight the packet is opened and the crisps inside placed on another belt that will return them to the packing machine.

The full boxes travel on another belt to the storage area where workers load and stack them.

Lorries come, load the boxes and take them to which ever distribution place is appropriate.

They are unloaded and stored and eventually taken to the shop where they are once again unloaded, stored and then placed on the shelves,

When you think of all that the price is not surprising really 🤣🤣🤣

M0nica Wed 05-Aug-26 14:09:24

I haven't bought a packet of crisps in years. Too salty and the artificial flavourings they use taste horrible. Like sweeteners they leave a flavour in your mouth that hangs around for hours, Yuk

ViceVersa Wed 05-Aug-26 14:11:40

Bought a multipack of crisps last week - mainly for when GS is here - he opened one on Friday and I swear there were about six or seven crisps in it!
I think I'm going to be very glad that we grow quite a bit of our own veg.

MissAdventure Wed 05-Aug-26 14:33:50

A crisp factory.
My dream job, if I was a tester.

Lathyrus3 Wed 05-Aug-26 14:42:13

You could eat all you wanted regardless of your job.

After a fortnight of stuffing you never wanted to see a crisp again🤣

JenniRen Wed 05-Aug-26 15:00:28

Lathyrus3

You could eat all you wanted regardless of your job.

After a fortnight of stuffing you never wanted to see a crisp again🤣

I was going to ask what happened to the over-large or slightly burnt ones!
Unfortunately, I'm not a great crisp fan so not my dream job, but give me a large packet of plain ones of a certain brand and I could eat the lot (but not every day).

M0nica Wed 05-Aug-26 15:13:56

Lathyrus3

You could eat all you wanted regardless of your job.

After a fortnight of stuffing you never wanted to see a crisp again🤣

I think that applied in lot of food factories. I went to school in Reading, home of Huntley and Palmers, and visitors to their factory were told the same.