Consumer member Peter Ward contacted us about the excessive packaging on Healtheries Bircher Deluxe Muesli.
Peter wasn't concerned about the weight of the product - it was 420g as stated on the label, but the packet inside was less than half full. He thinks this is wasteful and deceptive packaging. Peter isn't the first to contact us about this.
Cereals are sold by weight, so manufacturers aren't doing anything legally wrong. And some cereals may "settle" during transport and storage. However, we think manufacturers are using bigger packaging mainly to create a bigger shelf presence.
Our supermarket shelves are full of excess packaging and manufacturers should be mindful of this. But not all manufacturers are at fault: wheat biscuits and porridge packets are often full to the brim and many companies are now providing sealed plastic packets so you can tell at a glance how full they are.
More from consumer.org.nz
- Breakfast cereals - we checked out 137 breakfast cereals and found 46 to recommend
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I am a fan of Hubbards Porridge style Fruitful breakfast one of your top 10 recommended porridge style.
My problem is this, it seems the Woolworths and Foodtown will no longer stock this item.
While it can be found in some Pak n save and New world branches. To get this product I would have to make a special trip of approximately 15 to 20 kilometres round trip.
What does this say about Foodtown and Woolworths providing a variety of products let alone any commitment to the promotion of a healthy diet.
With the problem of obesity in this country and the children going to school with either no breakfast or a breakfast consisting of what is mainly sugar a variety of good quality breakfast porridges and cereals should be promoted not deleted from the shelves of our Supermarkets.
John White Cockle Bay Auckland