‘Skimpflation’: how supermarkets reduce the quality of what you buy

Bertolli, like several other brands, has reduced the olive oil content in its olive oil spreads from 21% to 10%. Photograph: AJ D Foto Ltd/Alamy

Have you recently had the impression that the tissues you normally buy are smaller than they were? Or that the guacamole you usually throw in your trolley isn’t quite as tasty as it used to be? Or that your favourite tomato pesto is a bit less tomatoey? You are probably spot-on.

Shoppers, who have already had to contend with rising prices and shrinking pack sizes, now also have to look out for “skimpflation” – the quiet downgrading in specification of some products.