Rise of skimpflation: How major supermarkets and food brands are changing their recipes to reduce the use of expensive ingredients – but still increasing costs to consumers

• Researchers for Dispatches compare product ingredient lists over past few years
• They say recipes have changed to remove costlier ingredients despite price rises
• ‘Less for More: The Truth About Food Prices’ airs on Channel 4 tomorrow at 9pm 

Recipes of popular supermarket products are being secretly changed to save money despite price increases for consumers, a bombshell investigation revealed today.

Channel 4’s Dispatches accused food firms such as Ella’s Kitchen and Jacobs and supermarkets including Tesco and Morrisons of the practice called ‘skimpflation’.

Researchers compared the recipes of products on the shelves now to the records of ingredients found in online archives ahead of the programme which airs tomorrow at 9pm – and they claimed recipes have changed to remove expensive ingredients.

The probe in partnership with consumer group Which? aimed to delve deeper into how supermarket prices in Britain have risen by a third compared to two years ago.

They claimed that Ella’s Kitchen Chicken and Veg with Sweetcorn Mash had gone from 12 per cent to 10 per cent chicken; 29 per cent to 19 per cent sweetcorn; and 20 per cent to 13 per cent milk – while calories had dropped by 21 per cent.

In relation to this reformulation of the Ella’s Kitchen product, top food technologist Rob Winwood said: ‘It is of concern that what we’ve got is a reduction in terms of calorific value because by reducing the corn in the milk by a third… we’re also seeing a reduction in terms of the overall energy calorific value, and that could make a difference in terms of the nutrition of this particular pack.’

How recipes are being secretly changed 

Ella’s Kitchen Chicken and Veg with Sweetcorn Mash

• Chicken down from 12% to 10%
• Sweetcorn down from 29% to 19%
• Milk down from 20% to 13%

Jacob’s Mini Cheddars

• 20% more cheese in 2021 but a third cheaper

Morrisons Roast Beef Dinner and Yorkshire Pudding

• 25% more Yorkshire pudding and 15% more beef last year

Tesco Greek Style Yoghurt

• Fat down from 9.5% to 7.5%
• Price up from 50p in 2020 to £1.10 now

Tesco Beef Lasagne

• Beef down from 23% to 19%
• Mushrooms added to ingredients
• Salt up by a third

Morrisons The Best Lasagne Al Forno

• Beef down from 30% to 26%

The study also found that Jacob’s Mini Cheddars had 20 per cent more cheese two years ago, but they were almost a third cheaper.

And the experts said Morrisons Roast Beef Dinner and Yorkshire Pudding had a quarter more Yorkshire pudding and 15 per cent more beef last year.

Meanwhile Tesco Greek Style Yoghurt had reduced its fat from 9.5 per cent to 7.5 per cent, while the price had gone from 50p in 2020 to £1.10, they added.

The same supermarket’s Beef Lasagne had allegedly gone from 23 per cent beef to 19 per cent, while mushrooms are now among the ingredients, while salt rose by a third.

Morrisons The Best Lasagne Al Forno was said to have dropped from 30 per cent to 26 per cent beef, while they added that Tesco Tartare sauce had less of the expensive fat and egg content than in the past.

Separately, the investigation also looked at how the poorest have been paying the biggest price increases since inflation ramped up two years ago.

Prices were tracked by Which? across eight major supermarkets, with the data showing budget and value ranges have risen in price more than twice as fast as premium ranges in the past year.

This means a £50 basket of value products had increased by £11.50, whereas a basket filled with premium products has by just £5.

One example was Hellman’s mayo, which had increased by 58 per cent over the last two years – more than the 51 per cent average seen in own-branded mayos.

McVities Digestives have gone up by 40 per cent, more than the average increase seen in own-brands.

And Heinz ketchup had increased by 50 per cent, more than the 41 per cent average rise among own-brands.

It comes after the Competition & Markets Authority watchdog said last month that manufacturers of some popular food brands had raised prices by more than their costs over the past two years.

Hellman’s mayo (left) has increased by 58 per cent over the last two years – more than the 51 per cent average seen in own-branded mayos. And Heinz ketchup (right) rose by 50 per cent, more than the 41 per cent average rise among own-brands

The Dispatches documentary looked at how budget products rely on ultra-processed food additives called starches to potentially reduce more expensive ingredients.

One example studied was how modified starches can be used to thicken up a watery tomato sauce.

How some brands have bigger price rises than supermarket-own items

Hellmann’s Mayonnaise

• Increased by 58% over the last two years, more than the 51% average seen in own-branded mayos

McVities Digestives 

• Up by 40%, more than the average increase seen in own-brands

Heinz Ketchup

• Increased by 50%, more than the 41% increase seen in own-brands

Modified starch can also reduce the pricier oil and egg content in budget mayonnaise.

One manufacturer states that its products can help manufacturers reduce costs, saying one starch can ‘save up to 15 per cent on recipe costs by replacing ingredients such as egg or other emulsifying systems’ and another enables ‘low-cost formulations with excellent mouthfeel.’

In response to the investigation, an Ella’s Kitchen spokesman told MailOnline today: ‘We take every care to develop yummy products which are just right for little ones – we never compromise on safety, texture and taste. 

‘Following customer feedback we made changes to the texture of this product, along with others in the range, reducing thickness and making a smoother texture for growing little ones who are just learning to chew. 

‘We did this by working with infant development experts to ensure the product still contains enough protein, vegetables, and calories to meet the needs of growing babies.’

Sources with knowledge of the company’s products also claimed that all its meals offer the correct amount of energy for babies on average, based on national nutrition recommendations.

They added that the product investigated exceeds the legal requirements for meat content and protein within a meal, as well as exceeding the dietary reference value for protein for an individual meal as per the firm’s own strict nutritional targets.

Channel 4’s Dispatches has accused supermarkets including Tesco of ‘skimpflation’

A statement from Tesco sent to MailOnline said: ‘We are always looking for ways to improve our recipes, not only to make them taste better, but also to provide products that are healthier for our customers and better for the planet. 

READ MORE The price of your Christmas dinner revealed

‘We have removed more than 71 billion calories from our own brand ranges since 2018 as part of our work to create healthier products, and have set ourselves a target of 65 per cent healthy sales by 2025.’ 

Sources within the company who have knowledge of the products told MailOnline that the natural yoghurt changes were made to make it healthier, and taste tests showed the new recipe found no negative impact on taste.

The supermarket’s beef lasagne was said to have been changed for the same reason, and performed better in taste tests.

As for the tartare sauce, it is understood that changes were made to keep the product price down amid high inflation costs on the key ingredients – and the product is expected to be replaced with a different recipe this week.

Meanwhile a Morrisons spokesman told MailOnline: ‘This is an unprecedented period of inflation and we are working hard to keep prices down and competitive for our customers while maintaining high standards and availability in all our stores.’

And a Jacobs spokesman told Dispatches: ‘We reformulated Mini Cheddars by introducing a new cheese… With a stronger flavour, this required different amounts of cheese… We have also been dealing with inflationary pressures.’

Dispatches – ‘Less for More: The Truth About Food Prices’ airs on Channel 4 tomorrow (Tuesday, December 12) at 9pm

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