Did you know that the size of a spice tin can make a big difference? Some popular spice makers, like McCormick & Co., are facing lawsuits over the size of their ground pepper tins.
Watkins Inc., a smaller player in the industry, claims that McCormick reduced the amount of pepper in their tins by 25% while keeping the tin size the same. This means that even though the tins look identical, you’re actually getting less pepper.
But why is this such a big deal? It all comes down to transparency and fairness. Watkins argues that McCormick is using a visual trick to make it seem like they are selling more pepper per tin than they actually are. McCormick’s tins are not see-through, making it challenging to see how much product is inside. On the other hand, Watkins has smaller-sized containers that hold the same amount of pepper as McCormick’s tins.
Watkins believes that McCormick is trying to deceive customers and gain an unfair advantage over their competition. They claim that McCormick is not improving their product but instead trying to make it appear better by using deceptive packaging. While it’s true that McCormick’s tins do state the amount of pepper they contain, the font size for the “6 oz.” marker is small and hard to read at first glance.This practice, known as “slack-filling,” is considered deceptive and a breach of consumer protection laws. By underfilling their tins, McCormick is not providing customers with the full amount of pepper they expect. This not only affects the value for money but also makes it difficult for consumers to compare products accurately.
