Two Democrats have introduced the Shrinkflation Prevention Act to the House of Representatives

Two Democrats have introduced the Shrinkflation Prevention Act to the House of Representatives.

Today, Representatives Chris Deluzio (PA-17) and Marie Gluesenkamp Perez (WA-03) introduced the Shrinkflation Prevention Act, a bill aimed at preventing corporations from deceptively reducing the sizes of their products without lowering prices accordingly.

Shrinkflation, which often goes unnoticed by consumers, involves companies reducing the quantity of their products while maintaining the same price. This can manifest as more air in a bag of chips, fewer sheets on a roll of paper towels, or a dent in the bottom of a jar of peanut butter.

This practice erodes the purchasing power of working families, especially when considering multiple items in a shopping trip. Approximately 10 percent of inflation in household paper products and snack foods can be attributed to shrinkflation. Meanwhile, corporate profits increased by 74 percent from 2020 to 2022, five times faster than inflation.

The Shrinkflation Prevention Act includes provisions to:

• Direct the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to establish regulations recognizing shrinkflation as an unfair or deceptive act or practice, prohibiting manufacturers from engaging in shrinkflation.
• Authorize the FTC and state attorneys general to pursue civil actions against corporations that engage in shrinkflation.

"Shrinkflation is a ripoff—yet another way that big corporations are sticking it to folks," said Rep. Deluzio. "People in Western Pennsylvania are feeling the pinch from corporations charging more for less to pad their profits at our expense. It’s time to fight back. I am proud to join Rep. Gluesenkamp Perez in introducing the Shrinkflation Prevention Act to bring down costs and to crack down on these deceptive practices."

"Working families across Southwest Washington just aren’t getting the same bang for their buck as they used to at the grocery store," said Rep. Gluesenkamp Perez. "Corporations have used rising prices as cover to give you less for what you’re paying and boost their bottom line—while the amount of packaging and cost to get products on shelves largely remains the same. It can be hard to notice when items get a bit smaller, and shrinkflation can add up throughout your shopping cart. I’m introducing this legislation to fight back."