Whiskas shaves 15g off packets – but still charges same price

Whiskas has slashed the size of its cat food pouches but kept the price the same in the latest example of so-called “shrinkflation”.

The brand has cut 15g from its 100g cat food pouches, reducing them to 85g. However, it has not changed the price. A pack of 12 pouches currently costs £4.50 in Tesco.

Whiskas has also stopped selling 2kg bags of dry food and now only sells 1.9kg bags. Despite making them smaller, it has raised the price.

The practice of slimming down products while keeping prices the same is known as shrinkflation in the retail industry. Brands use it as a way of coping with rising costs without putting off shoppers with higher prices.

Shrinkflation has become increasingly common on supermarket shelves as food and drink companies battle rising prices for their own ingredients.

The Telegraph revealed in December that Mini Cheddars had become less cheesy and moved into smaller packs despite the price remaining the same in most shops.

Shops set the final price of products stocked on their shelves but manufacturers give them a recommended retail price, which is usually followed.

A Whiskas spokesman said: “Extensive research from the Waltham Petcare Science Institute identified 80-85g as the recommended portion size for wet cat food, as 90pc of cat parents feed a mixture of wet and dry food.”

They added that the smaller packets would help owners “minimise food waste” by ensuring cats were given “the right amount”.

In the case of the dry cat food bags, the spokesman said: “The inflationary pressures being felt around the globe are well documented and sadly we are not immune to them.

“While we continue to absorb substantial cost increases coming from raw materials, and retail pricing remains at the sole discretion of the retailer, regrettably we have made a list price adjustment in this instance.”

Whiskas is the UK's second biggest pet food brand in the supermarkets, behind Felix.

The brand, which is owned by food giant Mars, made sales of £187m last year, according to Nielsen data published by trade magazine The Grocer.