Changes in ingredient proportions for popular food products have raised concerns among consumers. For instance, Carman's Apple Pie Aussie Oat Bars have seen a reduction in oats from 55% to 45%, a decrease of about 18%. The company claims this change was intentional and has improved the product's texture. In contrast, Chris' Chickpea and Roasted Garlic Hommus has reduced its chickpea content from 71% to 59%, a 17% drop, but the company has not provided an explanation for this change.

An analysis of approximately 11,000 food products on the Woolworths website revealed that many items have experienced similar reductions in their main ingredients. The investigation identified 47 products, including ice cream, dips, jams, and cereals, where the primary ingredient's proportion has decreased. Some manufacturers attribute these changes to recipe improvements, while others cite rising supply chain costs as a reason for maintaining lower prices.

This phenomenon has been termed "skimpflation," a term that parallels "shrinkflation," where product sizes decrease while prices remain unchanged. Retail and food experts are calling for greater transparency regarding these ingredient changes.

In Australia, food labeling is regulated, requiring companies to list ingredients in descending order by weight and to disclose the percentage of key ingredients. For example, a cereal must specify the percentage of oats, while a strawberry yogurt must indicate the percentage of strawberries. The analysis conducted by a data scientist focused on the percentage of key ingredients, revealing significant changes in various products.

Among the most notable changes was Chris' Dips Cheese & Chive, where cream cheese content plummeted from 60% to 26%, a nearly 57% reduction. In several Connoisseur ice cream products, cream content decreased by 21% to 28%. However, many products experienced smaller reductions, including Campbell's soup and Uncle Tobys cereal.

Some manufacturers clarified that their labels changed without a corresponding decrease in product quality. For instance, Goodman Fielder stated that the amount of wholemeal rice flour in Helga's gluten-free bread did not decrease; rather, the labeling was updated to comply with new guidelines. Pepsico also noted that a labeling error led to a misrepresentation of chickpea content in Obela Hommus, which was corrected promptly.

The reasons behind ingredient reductions vary. Some manufacturers cited supply chain challenges and machinery changes, while others pointed to inflation as a significant factor. Retail expert Lisa Asher noted that companies often reformulate recipes to manage costs while trying to maintain flavor and nutrition.

Asher explained that brands are generally more cautious about altering recipes compared to store-brand products, as they risk losing customer loyalty. Woolworths acknowledged that it has adjusted recipes for some of its products to keep prices lower amid cost-of-living pressures.

Despite ingredient changes, many manufacturers reported that the recommended retail prices of their products remained unchanged. However, Bega indicated that the price of its Mildura Orange Drinks had increased due to ongoing inflationary pressures.

Marketing lecturer Andrew Hughes from the Australian National University expressed concern over these practices, suggesting that small ingredient reductions could lead to significant profit increases. He criticized the lack of transparency, noting that companies are not required to inform customers of ingredient changes, often relegating such information to small print on labels. Hughes emphasized the need for consumers to be aware of these changes, as they may not notice the subtle shifts in product quality.