Less Expectations Trivia Quiz

Answer: Ground coffee

Cereal is not a beverage; orange juice and beer aren't packed in bags.

I was a java junkie when this all began. I phoned two of the major coffee companies and asked about the change. The reply from both was basically "we adjusted the formula; it now takes only one level tablespoon of grounds per cup, instead of one heaping tablespoon. By 'adjusting' the can size, customers are assured of getting the same amount of brewed coffee." Why not leave the can alone, and point out that there are now MORE servings in the same size can? Guess who gets to pay the cost of changing the container sizes? It sounded like bull puckey then, and it still sounds like puckey! They did offer me coupons though.

In the US, most bagged coffee sold for home use these days weighs approximately 10 - 12 oz.

Answer: Cat litter

I hope the "feline vision" hint pointed you to the correct answer. Who would buy 28 lbs of baking soda at a time? Or catnip? A lion tamer, perhaps.

If downsizing the product actually saves the customer money, there's not much to complain about. But all too often, the downsized item actually goes UP in price. And when the container stays the same size, but the amount of product decreases (particularly with cat litter) - something doesn't smell right. The best way to judge prices for most items is to read the "cost per ounce/serving" label on the store shelf.

Answer: Saltine crackers

I've never seen "stacks" of cottage cheese, egg nog, or coffee creamer. Have you?

The improved product freshness seems reasonable. But Kraft also indicated the stacks were "more portable". I know cracker portability has long been a big concern of mine, right up there with world peace. Now I can pay more to carry fewer crackers more easily? Well worth the cost.

Answer: Ivory dish detergent

I hope the purity figure and "kitchen product" hint gave you a win on this question. Oddly, the 24 oz. container of Ivory actually appears larger than the 30 oz. size in side-by-side photos. Isn't that an amazing feat of science? What would Marilyn Chambers say?

Wine is sold by weight, but isn't really a "kitchen" item. Is it? Scouring pads are sold by count. Toilet tissue? That's an item for another question - and another room in the house!

Answer: Ice cream

Breyer's is one of many US companies that have reduced ice cream container sizes. Although the smaller net weight is marked on the container, many shoppers still assume the content is a half gallon. Some producers - notably Turkey Hill Dairy - have taken careful steps to inform customers about the reasons for the downsizing; some firms have asked for consumer comments. And a very few companies (Blue Bell, for one) STILL maintain the half gallon size. The US Dept. of Agriculture requires that a gallon of ice cream must weigh at LEAST 4.5 lbs., but the gallon size is quite rare these days. A wise shopper should read labels very closely.

In the past, ice cream was also sold in quarts and pints, although those sizes are much less common today. We soon may be seeing ads such as "A pint is the new half gallon!"

Answer: Keebler chocolate chip cookies

Did the company intentionally lull consumers by first changing the package appearance (a perfectly legitimate move), then sneaking the weight change in at a later date? Who can say? One thing for sure - by removing 2-3 cookies from each package, the weight dropped by 1.7 ounces. I'm still trying to figure out why the package was 13.3 oz. to begin with! That's a strange amount. Maybe long ago and far away it was a one lb. bag?

LEGO waffles? Mighty tough eating!

Answer: Toilet tissue sheets

One company's tissue was a 4.5 by 4.5 inch (") square; it was reduced in size at least twice - the most current size I could find is 4.1" by 3.7". I'm no math major, but that's obviously quite a reduction. Now factor in other changes such as fewer pieces per roll, lower quality paper (ouch!), and bigger cardboard tubes that make the roll appear larger. And while writing this quiz, I saw a new ad touting "tubeless" toilet paper!

One company proclaims that since the tissue is stronger, you can use less. But using that logic, we could substitute #40 grit sandpaper and scarcely use any sheets at all! All this work to "help save the consumer money"? They must be sheeting me!

Answer: Added water

US products must be accurately labeled, so false weights are out. Deceptive pictures? No way - they're merely "enhanced". Just look at any fast food burger ad. And air? More on that in a later question.

The "non-concentrated" detergent is clearly marked (in smaller text), so it's truthful. But several consumers complained that it has about one third the soap contained in standard liquid soap. More water in a product means less actual product, and the water still counts as part of the "accurate" net weight! And non-concentrated sounds more consumer friendly than "diluted". Some poultry items are labeled with phrases like "enhanced with fourteen percent chicken broth", which means you're basically paying chicken prices for water (One reference noted that "fourteen percent" is less noticeable than "14%").

Weak coffee, weak drinks - now weak soap and weak....chicken? At least we're drinking more water.

Answer: Air

The air whipped into ice cream is called "overrun", and may be as high as 100%. Overrun - in moderation - enhances ice cream taste and texture. Premium ice creams have roughly 25% overrun; cheaper brands may contain as much as 95% air. You may have noticed recent trends pushing foamy (read "air") hand soap. And chocolate bars with air whipped into them. The bar looks big, but has less chocolate.

Oh, by the way - lecithin is a fatty substance that is often used in paint, gasoline, AND candy.

Answer: Substituting cheaper ingredients while keeping the same selling price

If all other factors remain constant, using cheaper ingredients while selling the finished product - at the original price - will raise profits. Of course, quality will almost certainly suffer. The other options are choices a manufacturer would take to treat customers fairly and honestly, at least, in my opinion. But I've never owned a company.

Product makers certainly have the right to earn profits. When inflation grows, companies are faced with hard choices: raise prices; cheapen the product; or reduce the item size/quantity. It's not an easy choice for any firm. But there seem to be a lot of questionable practices in the marketing business.