I've been meaning to start this thread for quite some time and have finally overcome whichever of Newton's laws (I haven't got the energy to search.
) has been holding me back.
We've all watched prices go up and quantities down in deference to the bottom line, but I've noticed a new, disturbing trend in recent years…product degradation.
The first instance I ran across was when rapeseed oil found its way into peanut butter, which I noticed instantly the first time I bit into a Ritz Peanut Butter Mini-Cracker containing it…
YEEECH!!! (My 1966 Random House Unabridged dictionary defines rapeseed oil as a lubricant and illuminant, with no mention of
any food potentialities, let alone usage.)
2. When M&M-Mars introduced their new blue M&Ms, along with them they introduced "lake,"
metal based, dyes as an accompaniment to, if not substitute for, the vegetable based dyes they had used since time immemorial; the result is a
nasty aftertaste.
3. I first notice decreased flavoring in Strawberry Twizzlers, and I've now found it in Walgreens branded circus peanuts; in addition to the obvious benefit of reducing the amount of costly ingredients, this results in a less satisfying product that leaves me unsatisfied...hungry for more...sooner.
4. I won't know for certain 'til I buy my next new nail clipper, but it looks like I've got to tip my hat to Revlon, big-time, for figuring out that making the blades a bit less sharp will increase sales.
Additional examples are welcome.
