Most People Can’t Spot The Difference Between These, But It’s Really Important
The Backstory: What Actually Happened?
This image isn’t a Photoshop trick; it stems from a famous class-action lawsuit filed against McCormick & Company.
In an effort to keep prices seemingly the same while facing rising production costs, McCormick reduced the amount of black pepper in their iconic metal tins by 25%—dropping the content from 2 ounces to 1.5 ounces.
However, instead of shrinking the tin to match the new volume, they kept using the exact same oversized tin. To make matters worse, they filled the extra space with empty air (a practice known in the industry as “slack fill”).
Because the tins were opaque, consumers had no way of knowing they were buying a container that was a quarter empty unless they meticulously read the fine print on the weight label. Competitors noticed, consumers got mad, and it ultimately led to a massive legal settlement.
Why This Matters to Home Cooks and Bakers
While a quarter of an ounce of pepper might not seem like a culinary disaster, this retail sleight-of-hand impacts you in two major ways:
