Don Vittorio noodles reduces its content but the price in supermarkets does not drop, what does Alicorp say?

On social networks it has been denounced that wheat pasta —one of the foods that is part of the basic basket— or Spaghetti noodles of the brand Don Vittoriowhich belongs to the Alicorp company, has reduced its content, but maintained the cost.

So the package I used to contain 500 grams now only has 450. However, its value remains the same as before. On the Metro and Plaza web portals, the price ranges from S/3.99 to S/4.60 and it is only found in the reduced version (450 g.). Likewise, in Wong and Vivanda the amount amounts to S/4.60, while in Tottus it is S/4.80.

On the Plaza Vea portal, the 500 g size appears, but the image corresponds to the reduced 450 g presentation. Photo: Plaza Vea

according to hima Peruvian Association of Consumers and Users (Aspec)this practice is It is called “Resufflation” or “Invisible Inflation” And it consists of companies reducing the quantity, size or number of units of a product and selling it to the consumer while maintaining or even raising its cost. They also denounce that this action would be spreading to various packaged foods.

It should be noted that this situation is not illegal, as long as the change is visibly reported on the product label. “This “decrease” is reported on the packaging but not in a prominent way and that is why he does not realize it,” said Crisólogo Cáceres, president of Aspec, in his networks.

What has the company Alicorp answered?

When consulted by this means, the company Alicorp pointed out that since 2020 they have registered 100% increases in different inputs and raw materials that they use to make their products. “In the case of wheat, there are various factors that impact its costs, such as climate change that affects harvests in the world, the war between Russia and Ukraine, as well as the increase in logistics costs after the pandemic.. Although we see a certain slowdown in the costs of this raw material, volatility remains and higher prices than in pre-pandemic times”refers to the company.

In this sense, they reiterated that they are “doing everything possible so that their prices do not rise to the same extent as the inputs.” In addition, they report that a process has recently begun to reduce the suggested price of 450g Don Vittorio, going from S/ 4.50 to S/ 4.00.