Have you ever considered the impact of a spice tin’s size? It turns out, it can make a big difference. Several major spice brands, such as McCormick & Co., are facing lawsuits over the size of their ground pepper tins.

Watkins Inc., a smaller player in the market, alleges that McCormick reduced the amount of pepper in their tins by 25% while keeping the tin size the same. This means you’re actually getting less pepper, even though the tins look unchanged.

Why does this matter so much? It boils down to principles of fairness and transparency. Watkins asserts that McCormick is misleading consumers into believing they’re getting more pepper per tin than they actually are by using a visual illusion. Since McCormick’s tins are opaque, it’s hard to gauge the amount of product inside. In contrast, Watkins offers smaller tins with the same amount of pepper as McCormick’s.

According to Watkins, McCormick is trying to deceive consumers to gain an unfair advantage over competitors. They argue that McCormick is merely trying to make their product appear superior through deceptive packaging rather than actually improving it. Although the stated amount of pepper on McCormick’s tins is accurate, the font size for the “6 oz.” marking is small and difficult to notice at first glance.

This tactic, known as “slack-filling,” is seen as dishonest and violates consumer protection laws. McCormick isn’t providing consumers with the full quantity of pepper they expect by underfilling their tins. This not only affects the value for money but also makes it difficult for customers to make accurate product comparisons.

Give extra consideration to the packaging when you find yourself perusing the spice aisle during your next grocery run. Don’t be misled by the size of the tin—ultimately, it’s the contents that truly count!