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Shrinkflation: Here are 13 of your favourite brands have shrunk over the years

Thousands of products we use in everyday life have shrunk in size over the years but their prices usually stay the same.

Last year alone, there were more than 200 products which got smaller in size, but do consumers notice?

According to figures realised by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) 206 products shrunk between September 2015 to June 2017, but apparently stayed at the same price.

A box of 80 PG Tips boxes of PG Tips shrank by 11%, from 250g to 232g
A box of 80 PG Tips boxes of PG Tips shrank by 11%, from 250g to 232g

There was no trend in the frequency of size changes over time period, which coincided with the UK voting to leave the EU.

The practice is called Shrinkflation and shoppers are not meant to notice.

It is where the price of items stays the same but their size reduces, compared to normal product inflation or where the size remains the same but the prices rise.

Over the years some top brands have either shrunk in size or been packaged smaller.

The majority of the size changes were for food and drink products, but some household items like washing power and toilet roll have also shrunk.

People went barmy when Peperami got smaller
People went barmy when Peperami got smaller

Food items which have shrunk included bread and cereals, meat, sugar, jam, syrups, chocolate and other confectionery.

The majority of products experiencing size changes were food items and last year the ONS estimated between 1% and 2.1% of food products shrank in size.

However, products don't just get smaller, some get bigger with between 0.3% and 0.7% growing in size.

When products do get smaller prices tended not to change.

Since January 2012 and June 2017, the ONS say it recorded 2,529 products shrank.

And contrary to popular belief, another sweet treat the Wagon Wheel has never changed in size over the years and according to Burton's Biscuits, 125 million of them are eaten every year alone in the UK.

A spokesman for Burton's Biscuits added: “Wagon Wheels have never gotten smaller, our hands have just got bigger."

Here are a list of 13 of the most popular items which have got smaller.

Creme eggs used to come in a box of six, but now come as a box of five
Creme eggs used to come in a box of six, but now come as a box of five

Creme Eggs fans used to be able to buy packets of six Creme Eggs, but now there are only five in a box when they are on sale before Easter, that's a reduction of almost 17%.

Not only that, Creme Egg fans were also upset when Kraft Foods, who makes the product stopped using Cadbury’s Dairy Milk for the shell, and instead started using a standard mix chocolate.

PG Tips is also another grocery item which has got smaller as an 80 box of tea bags shrank by 11%, from 250g to 232g, the equivalent of six less bags.

The popular tea brand reduced its bags by 0.2g too but the boxes and price stayed the same.

Mars Bars have dropped in size from 58g to 51g. Mars said it made the iconic chocolate bars smaller to meet public health targets to cut calories.

Mars bars have also shrunk in size
Mars bars have also shrunk in size

Terry's Chocolate Orange is a popular chocolate for people to buy at Christmas.

The treat, first manufactured in 1932, has been reduced from 175g to 157g in weight, which is a 10% a cut in size.

Andrex toilet tissue one of the nation's favourites and is used by millions of people in the UK.

It used to be packaged with 240 sheets in each roll now there is only 221 sheets per roll, which is an 8% reduction.

Andrex toilet roll has less rolls
Andrex toilet roll has less rolls

Maltesers - a packet of the light chocolate with malt honeycomb-like centres are something we can all eat even if we are watching our weight.

They are manufactured by Mars and packets shrunk from 121g to 103g which is a reduction of 15%.

Mars have said it was a way of helping consumers afford the product.

Share bags are now smaller
Share bags are now smaller

Doritos sharing bags the popular American brand has also reduced in size.

The flavoured tortilla chip, which has been made since 1964, has reduced in size from 200g to 180g.

So the bags, which are made by Frito-Lay, a subsidiary company of PepsiCo have shrunk by 10%.

Dettol Power bathroom wipes are another household product which now has a smaller number of wipes inside it.

The cleaning product used to contain 36 wipes but now there are just 32 inside its packets, an 11% reduction.

Coco Pops the coco flavoured breakfast cereal which is produced by Kellogg's and makes the milk go chocolatey is just coco flavoured version of Rice Krispies.

A 800g box has now reduced in size to 720g - a 10% reduction.

Toblerone has less triangles to eat
Toblerone has less triangles to eat

Toblerone bars were cut from 400g to 360g and makers did this by increasing the gap between the chocolate triangles on each bar.

Its manufactures cut the number of triangles of the popular chocolate in the aftermath of the EU referendum.

Sensodyne toothpaste also has less in a tube
Sensodyne toothpaste also has less in a tube

Sensodyne toothpaste has also been a casualty of shrinkflation with tubes being reduced from 100ml to 75ml.

The toothpaste is specially formulated to care for sensitive teeth and has reduced in size by 25%.

Peperami is another example which has shrunk, the popular smoked pork salami sausage used to weigh 25g but now is just 22.5g.

That equates to a 10% reduction in the German savoury snack.

Surf washing power also has less in a packet
Surf washing power also has less in a packet

Surf washing powder is our last example and might not shrink your clothes when you wash them, but you do get less product in each box.

A box 2kg box used to contain enough for 45 washes, but now the 1.61kg box contains enough for only 40 washes.

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