Mac & Cheese Shrinkflation

When I was shopping for groceries online, I saw that Kraft now had a gluten-free version of their classic Mac & Cheese available. I bought two boxes and was looking forward to seeing how close the gluten-free version was going to taste compared to the classic original flavor.

The water was on the stove boiling when I opened up the box. Once I pulled out the packet of cheese powder, this is what I saw.

To say I was shocked would be putting it mildly. That big box for just a tiny amount of pasta at the bottom. Seriously??

I knew grocery prices had gotten out of hand. At this point everyone is feeling the pinch. I knew that food manufacturers had been shrinking the size of their offerings and charging the same or more for what was once upon a time a larger quantity/size. But this is when it really hit home.

I mean let's forget about the small amount of pasta in the box. Think of the packaging waste just to keep the box similar in size to what it used to be in the past. All so consumers (you and me) won't think twice about buying a classic fave even if it's a gluten-free version.

If you have a box of Kraft Mac & Cheese in your pantry, please take a photo of what your pasta to box ratio is and share in the comments. I really want to know if this was just a one-off situation or if this is the "new normal" these days.