Many people can’t tell these apart, but it’s super important

Did you know that the size of a spice tin can significantly impact your purchase? Major spice companies, such as McCormick & Co., are facing legal action due to allegations concerning the size of their ground pepper tins.

Watkins Inc., a smaller competitor, has accused McCormick of reducing the quantity of pepper in their tins by 25% while maintaining the same tin size. This means that despite the identical appearance, consumers are actually receiving less pepper.

Why does this matter? It boils down to fairness and transparency. Watkins argues that McCormick is deceiving consumers by creating the illusion of more pepper than there actually is. McCormick’s opaque tins make it difficult to gauge the amount of pepper inside. In contrast, Watkins offers smaller tins containing the same quantity of pepper as McCormick’s.

Watkins contends that McCormick’s tactic aims to unfairly portray their product as superior. Rather than improving their product, McCormick relies on deceptive packaging. Despite claiming to contain 6 ounces of pepper, McCormick’s tin labels are small and hard to read, contributing to consumer confusion.

This practice, known as “slack-filling,” is considered dishonest and violates consumer protection regulations. By not filling their tins to capacity, McCormick is shortchanging customers. This not only affects the value for money but also complicates accurate product comparisons.

Next time you’re shopping for spices, scrutinize the packaging closely. Don’t let the size of the tin deceive you—what’s inside matters most!