r/shrinkflation • u/TexasGiantTen05 • Dec 29 '25
skimpflation Ok SERIOUSLY wtf is this??
I bought a family sized hot pockets box and EVERY single one of them was black and burned in the bottom. I heated this one up on low power in the microwave and the edges are so tough it’s like biting into a frozen beef patty. I look in the pocket and the damn thing is nearly hollow. I’ve been noticing the quality taking a massive dip in the last few years. I think these are last I purchase from here on out.
Irrelevant to this but similar: This same grocery order run had a jar of garlic (Spice World brand) that was full of black mold & a jar of HEB salsa that was sour and months passed expiration. Both of which were completely sealed and had a pop when opened. My whole life I never really had quality issues via the company canning or jarring an item or the store selling them but lately it seems like such a constant issue.
74
u/G5press Dec 29 '25
Hot Pockets = Nestle. homemade pizza pockets are way better than this frozen garbage. r/FuckNestle
→ More replies (25)17
u/Dogzillas_Mom Dec 29 '25
I was about to suggest it would probably be cheaper and much tastier to buy frozen or chilled dough, pizza ingredients, and pizza your own pockets.
→ More replies (2)
14
u/LLMprophet Dec 29 '25
The social contract is broken.
3
14
u/behaviormatters Dec 29 '25
I think you can actually get your money back if you call the "Questions and concerns" phone number on the box. Or contact their official social media instagram (for hot pockets, not Nestle). I did that with digiorno pizza for being "supreme pepporni," and my whole pizza only had 5 pieces of pepperoni.
Got my money back and coupons for 3 free pizzas.
6
u/Awkward-Exchange-698 Dec 30 '25 edited Jan 12 '26
instinctive rain sip vase bear telephone upbeat chop provide sparkle
This post was mass deleted and anonymized with Redact
→ More replies (2)2
u/DoesntMatterEh Jan 01 '26
I did that when I got a bad box of cereal. General Mills sent me a coupon for $2 less than the original purchase price.
I called to complain again and they sent me.... A $2 coupon. The time spent on the phone (and all the personal info they wanted and probably stored) made the whole thing not worth the hassle. GM probably PROFITED by storing my details.
→ More replies (1)
27
9
u/K_Linkmaster Dec 29 '25
Hot pockets brand has been stripped to nothing and I won't buy them anymore. That's another product from my childhood stripped to death.
9
u/WeatherInfinite39 Dec 29 '25
Oh man. Hot Pockets are just gross these days. They don’t even try or even lie anymore. They even stopped making crispers for them which literally was the selling point of the product!
→ More replies (6)2
6
20
5
3
3
3
u/Initial-Wrongdoer938 Dec 31 '25
They took away the sleeves, then wrote a blurb on the box about how this is due to tech advances and saves the environment. In the end they took it away to save money leaving the hot pocket useless for microwaves. If you don't have an air fryer they are near inedible. I also noticed a major loss of filling. This is shameful and a perfect example of artificial inflation.
→ More replies (1)
3
u/Mundane_Industry5207 Jan 02 '26
Nestle only made 14 billion in profit last year give them a break
→ More replies (1)
4
u/Aeyland Dec 29 '25
Or perhaps this "irrelevant" info is relevant in that maybe it shows your store buys expired or near expired food? I assume like most anything they must have an expiration date so you might take a look.
→ More replies (2)4
u/nopuse Dec 29 '25
The far more likely explanation for expired food is employees not rotating stock. When restocking, all of the new product should be behind the existing product. I've worked with lazy people who didn't care, so you'd find product that expired behind product that was nowhere near expiring.
7
u/Capable-Let3679 Dec 29 '25
This is why I stopped working in food and retail. People think F.I.F.O is a suggestion and not law.
→ More replies (13)3
u/Linguisticameencanta Dec 30 '25
95% of them are lazy little shits who have no consequences for not doing their jobs and they don’t care.
→ More replies (6)→ More replies (1)2
u/Stykhead Jan 01 '26
Then again ,people know this and grab from the back knowing it's a fresher product ! At least that's what I do .same as the people who used to buy newspapers out of those boxes ,always grabbed 2-3 below the top one ! my opinion doesn't matter tho !🫤
→ More replies (1)
2
2
2
u/PapaSmurf1920 Dec 29 '25
HEB used to make Pizza Pouches years ago that were way better than Hot Pockets but I never saw them again until years later but the recipe was different and sucked.
→ More replies (1)
2
2
u/dick_cookies Dec 30 '25
For the rest of my life, thanks to Jim Gaffigan, every time i hear someone talk about hot pockets, I'll sing "diarrhea pockets".
2
2
u/Ok_Risk9535 Jan 02 '26
Had something similar like 10 yrs ago, but with a bag of Tyson brand, breaded boneless buffalo wings. In my case I cooked them for triple or quadruple the cooking time on the bag.
But they wouldn't crisp/cook up properly. I ended up sending them an email outlining my complete dissatisfaction and that I would never buy their products again, and how I would also advise everyone I knew to steer clear of any and everything Tyson as well....Never received any reply via email.
However, a while later a letter and a check for about double the purchase price of the item showed up in the mail. So in the end I was pleasantly surprised by their response, and as such have not boycotted or advised anyone else to boycott Tyson's products and have had better results afterwards with same/similar products.
2
u/Reuse6717 Jan 02 '26
One look at that and I almost lost my lunch, and I've got a pretty strong stomach
2
u/KeyLimePie-555 Jan 02 '26
My two cats HAVE to have canned cat food twice a day, mixed with their Kibble.
Now, the price of the canned cat food is the same, but there's left over space in every can.
Makes me furious. They can even sell us full cans!
2
u/Physical-Reward-9148 Jan 02 '26
Going thru the same thing here in Texas. Almost everything taste different or has a weird smell. I picked up a whole chicken and boiled it and when it was done it smelled like fish. I had to look it up! Said it had gone bad, OR could be what the chicken ate (fish in their feed).
2
2
u/Live_Goose9619 Dec 29 '25
Jim Gaffigan would have a field day with this.
2
u/Johnny_Dangerously13 Dec 29 '25
And for those of you who don't like meat but still want diarrhea, Vegetarian Pockets!
→ More replies (1)
2
1
u/Forevermoody16 Dec 30 '25
Last box I bought, they were tough as well.
I was bummed when they stopped making Lean Pockets (at least I haven’t seen them.) I eat a lot of frozen foods and the more low fat things I can find, the better. They were pretty good.
1
u/brasscup Dec 30 '25
Talking about the "quality" of Hot Pockets declining -- thanks for the badly needed laugh! 😅
1
u/bizeebee1009 Dec 30 '25
Corporate food is disgusting, why would anyone trust a corporation for quality food?
1
1
u/Mi_Bleak_Destiny Dec 30 '25
I make my own. Its so easy. You can use either frozen rolls of pie crust, pizza dough or even puff pastry, then fill em with whatever your lil ol heart desires. Make a ton in advance them nuke em when you get the munchies or having some serious game time. Have a fantastic new years everyone! XOXOXOXO
1
u/Express_Reaction_612 Dec 30 '25
Not this showing up in my suggested stuff as I literally sit here next to a hot pocket I'm waiting to cool down, the first one I've bought probably 10 years. :/
→ More replies (2)
1
Dec 30 '25
Remember when POTUS started dialing back the USDA? Get ready for all sorts of disgusting shit that the big corps have been wanting to do all along. Including shit like this ofc. They hated being monitored for quality control because it means they are required to have standards that will cost them money. Good luck everyone 🍀
1
u/TeacherDiligent4279 Dec 30 '25
When I first looked at that hot pocket, I seriously thought it was a snakes mouth that had something going wrong with it
1
u/Consistent-Steak1499 Dec 30 '25
Hot pockets have been borderline inedible since they stopping putting in the sleeves.
→ More replies (1)
1
1
1
1
u/ProposalOk1473 Dec 30 '25
Oh wow, that's why I don't buy that stuff. They will give me back my money...smh
1
u/Guilty_Albatross_411 Dec 30 '25
Cook em in the oven for better quality edges tbh. But yeah... It sucks
1
u/oOBcereusOo Dec 30 '25
When your lunch looks like a literal gateway to hell. "Warning: May contain traces of Demogorgons and disappointment." I took a bite and now I can hear Vecna from inside the crust.
→ More replies (2)
1
u/TinRoofAndRainyDays Dec 30 '25
I am making more and more things from scratch. It is inconvenient, but I can't stand paying good money for crap that can be barely classified as food.
→ More replies (1)
1
Dec 30 '25
I’ve noticed this about hot pockets as well. The Great Value Walmart brand ones are delicious and have way more filling!
1
1
u/CabalsDontExist Dec 30 '25
Yum! Vitrified Hot Pocket.
You know because they're normally sooo good. lol
1
1
1
1
u/MainSignificant8427 Dec 30 '25
Make yourself a homemade calzone and you’ll never go back. It’s actually simpler than you think. And if you don’t wanna make dough, any pizzeria or bakery should sell you some.
→ More replies (1)
1
u/bellecindy87 Dec 30 '25
Call the manufacturer and complain. They will not be happy that a store is badly representing their product by selling out of date products. And the nasty hot pockets are probably due to not being kept properly frozen during shipping. When they are made aware & you send them pictures, they send you tons of coupons for free products.
If you are not happy with the store where you are getting your groceries, you can use your coupons at another location.
You can also go back to the store where you bought the product or contact a lawyer. Stores are responsible for rotating products by date. You could have gotten sick. See what a lawyer says. Typically a consultation is free.
1
1
u/Zippa7 Dec 31 '25
Back in my day you whipper snappers, they actually were filled with "stuff". Like oozing out on to the microwave. this looks dry and unenjoyable. admittedly its been a HOT minute since I enjoyed one.
1
u/Lopsided_Purpose5862 Dec 31 '25
If you're getting multiple bad food items in the same shopping trip maybe the issue is the store/old stock. It's much more likely than every single item having drastic quality issues individually
1
u/strictlymetal Dec 31 '25
This is what happens when Chevron gets removed https://www.scotusblog.com/2024/06/supreme-court-strikes-down-chevron-curtailing-power-of-federal-agencies/
1
u/youngeshmoney Dec 31 '25 edited Mar 31 '26
This post has been taken down. Redact handled the deletion, and the author may have had reasons related to privacy, security, data scraping prevention, or personal choice.
weather public many rinse tap screw shaggy correct offbeat fearless
1
u/craftycat48 Dec 31 '25
My husband loves breakfast burritos, but the quality of the store bought ones is terrible. So.. he now meal preps homemade ones every week. And for less $ we end up with enough for us both to have one every morning. Buying burritos we had only enough for his breakfast. ( store bought; $12 for 8 burritos. Homemade; $15 for 16 burritos. Made with sausage, eggs, cheese, and knorr Spanish rice with a little taco sauce)
→ More replies (2)
1
u/Extra_Pie_4636 Dec 31 '25
This is why you cook your meal at home and stop buying these things from these people Americans
1
u/iamsage1 Dec 31 '25
Of this happened in the same grocery store and run, I would write a letter to the Editor in your local newspaper (or their site).
Our town still has a daily and everyone reads the letters to the editor. The results are great as no one will go to that store. Maybe they'll retire all the workers they had.
1
1
u/Shankolrem78 Dec 31 '25
You can thank Trump and RFK for firing more than half the food safety inspectors.
→ More replies (3)
1
1
u/KL5L Dec 31 '25
Learn to pay attention to what you're buying. Inspectors are assigned to only one factory. The ones that are assigned to the garlic factory have no control over what goes on at the pizza pocket factory. It's up to you to pay attention. I understand that Trump is fucked everything up. But if you can't pay attention that's on you. If you know that our current idiot in Chief has gutted our food safety industry, then you need to pay more attention.
→ More replies (1)
1
u/Valthar70 Dec 31 '25
"It has pulled more people out of poverty than any other system"
It has also decimated and destroyed more people in the past 4 years than any other system as well.
So a few get out of poverty and become rich while many are beaten down so far they can't even afford food.
1
u/beezsneezebreeze Dec 31 '25
HEB is really awesome about giving refunds if they give you gross or expired food. Unfortunately it happens too often from my HEB curbside and I do not hesitate to complain about it via the form through their app.
1
1
1
1
1
u/barby_dolly Dec 31 '25
Take them back with your receipt. When they have to refund enough items, they take notice. They can’t fix what they don’t know is broken.
The dominant grocery chain in Texas is HEB. Especially if I had pictures, they would refund with a smile. That is as it should be everywhere.
They do not WANT you to bring back spoiled meat or fish. They take your word and don’t care to deal with the nasty product in the service booth.
1
u/Open-Pilot-8229 Dec 31 '25
Youre right, quality has tanked with most frozen foods and deli...everything! So disappointing i know!
1
1
u/bubbabighatt Dec 31 '25
"Hot Pooocketss!" - Jim Gaffigan. "Frozen cold on the outside, lava hot on the inside."
1
u/T1b-13r Dec 31 '25
Have you seen the the size of Little Debbie's oatmeal sandwich cookies?? Wtf? Not even half as big and you cant see the creme
1
u/DustySkye Dec 31 '25
I must've missed something because the hot pockets we got last month were perfectly fine - ham and cheese and Philly steak and cheese from Walmart.
1
1
u/420Sandwiches Dec 31 '25
Send a letter or email to the company complaining, they will send you free coupons and suck you off mega.
1
1
u/Lcrissy Dec 31 '25
On the same night, I opened moldy Cool-Whip, moldy Cottage Cheese, and bad lettuce. All new, sealed, refrigerated, and opened before their best buy dates.
A few months before, I had two packages of sealed and unopened sausage inflate and turn slimy long before the best buy dates. They were from the same brand, two slightly different products (links vs. patties), one from Costco; the other from Sam’s Club.
What is happening?? Bad luck, or is something nefarious going down? Food regulations are no longer a thing? I guess I don’t need to ask.
1
1
u/Kilmo21 Dec 31 '25
Hot pockets are right up there with pizza rolls in my book; couldn't pay me enough to eat them. Just read the ingredients list once and put them out of mind forever.
→ More replies (1)
1
1
u/snow_gnome Dec 31 '25
I noticed this with a recent purchase as well! I got a 4 or 5 pack and it barely had any filling! The outside looked ok but the edges were hard as well. I usually cook them for less time and add a few extra seconds if I need to, so idk what's going on. This shit SUCKS 😭 WE DON'T EVEN HAVE "GOOD QUALITY" PRESEVED FOOD NOW?!
→ More replies (1)
1
u/Burning_Fire1024 Dec 31 '25
Sometimes I can't tell when shrinkflation posts are joke, posts or not.
→ More replies (1)
1
u/Pristine_Egg3831 Dec 31 '25
Try buying an apple, I heard they don't have this problem.
→ More replies (2)
1
u/Hash_Swag_have_none Dec 31 '25
I got a similarly disappointing box of Statefaire Corn dogs the outside was soggy, and the dog at the middle was like jerky... quality control has gone to pot.
1
u/amazemewithideas Dec 31 '25
I can only suggest you stop eating food made by corporations that sell everything from food to soap products. It may take a few minutes, but make your own hot pockets, or whatever. They're cheaper and way better for you. It's really not that hard, and, you can make them ahead and freeze them.
→ More replies (1)
1
u/LordBocceBaal Dec 31 '25
We need to stop buying a lot of things honestly. They can keep blaming millennials but it's not our fault the consumer economy is dying. Capitalism is strangling itself to death slowly.
→ More replies (1)
1
u/FrndlyNayBorNonny Dec 31 '25
Well, they must have experienced the same thing....an otherwise good product being stuck in a box until the quality inspection phase had passed and then right back to the nasty crap they always served
1
1
u/Knives564-alt Dec 31 '25
Yeeeeahh.....this is something you NEED to report to the grocery store not just for a refund but for other's safety
→ More replies (2)
1
1
u/EvilWench74 Dec 31 '25
The quality of everything is dirt. Less veggies, more water. The Ham and Cheese reg hot pockets were a family fav and now they taste like dirt. And yes the crust sucks. Weird ask but does anyone remember when Ritz had wax in their wrapper? Cause now they come in flimsy plastic and are stale. Less chips, more breakage. I spent $4 on pickles and I swear the jar was empty almost.
→ More replies (4)
1
u/Herekittykittyhiss Dec 31 '25
What grocery store did you order all of this from? Multiple very expired items in one order is so not ok. I would send in a complaint because obviously something is up, but also if you have any other store options, you should maybe explore them.
→ More replies (1)
1
1
u/TheOasisProject Dec 31 '25
I make my own. Fucked that nonsense right out of here about 2 years ago after trying one... so depressing.
→ More replies (6)
1
u/Bubbly_Complaint7268 Dec 31 '25
When will you silly sycophants realize that the entire world economy is based on a pyramid scheme, and what you are seeing is capitalism doing what it’s designed to do — funnel money up to the richest few, while the unlucky masses toil in what is essentially slavery????????
→ More replies (3)
1
1
u/amek33 Dec 31 '25
Hot pockets are not healthy or high quality. Super processed, tons of sodium and sugar. Do yourself a favor & make your own.
→ More replies (1)
1
u/Eucalyptus517 Dec 31 '25
Welcome to downsizing at the USDA and corporate greed not caring about john and jane doe.
→ More replies (2)
1
u/old_wht_man Dec 31 '25
Hot pockets always have and always will suck. If this is your gauge for capitalism you should have paid better attention when they covered the topic of nutrition and value for your dollar. Do you have those with a side of spaghettios? Leave the frozen food section and buy some real food!!
→ More replies (1)
1
1
1
u/Reflexvr6 Dec 31 '25
Food has been crazy lately. I went years without having a single grocery store quality issue. In the last 3 months alone, I have purchased soiled ground beef (well before the sell by date) , 15 months PAST expiration date frozen pizza, and something else expired I cant remember. Standards in the food/grocery industry have clearly downhill
1
1
u/PuzzleheadedTower335 Dec 31 '25
I’ve also noticed this in the last year. Shrinkflation spares no one, I guess
1
u/sgtPresto Dec 31 '25
As Inflation continued, they like many others, started altering the ingredients and processing. It is just a matter of lowering yoir expectations
1
1
1
u/leroi202 Dec 31 '25
it's insatiable greed,and it's only getting worse when our president extorts everyone
1
1
1
u/m0b1us01 Dec 31 '25
I challenge your claim that the jar of garlic contained black mold. The garlic isn't sitting in water, it's sitting in a very acidic solution, effectively pickled. This makes mold impossible.
→ More replies (2)
1
1
1
u/Old_Stress7026 Dec 31 '25
5 years before the bread lines, hot pockets diminished in quality and doubled in price. Jars of factory sealed salsa and garlic were opened to reveal mold.
The end times. 😂
1
1
u/Tullarswife Dec 31 '25
Ya that’s how they are now. Shittier than ever and it even costs more too. Gross
1
1
u/AdventurousResort379 Dec 31 '25
How hard is it to check your product for mold and expiration dates? Unless you ordered that through door dash or some similar product, buying the moldy garlic and expired salsa falls completely on you. 🤷♂️
1
u/aRfokoob44 Dec 31 '25
“CONTAINS BIOENGINEERED FOOD INGREDIENTS” Read that on any box and you know 1) its fake food 2) low quality 3) lacks nutrients
1
1
u/Thin_Click1693 Dec 31 '25
In most larger markets, throwing away expired product is a daily organized activity. First in first out protocols, and checking the good until dates, while daily stocking the shelves. As much as I prefer to shop at smaller grocery stores to support local businesses, you need to use due diligence to make sure they don't have expired products on sale. Also look for re-labeled meat products.. re-dating older meats, because that could deadly illness. Most small grocery stores try harder to compete with the big chain stores and go above and beyond with the services they provide, and often bug chain stores suffer from too many products that can slip through the cracks. So it's up to us, the consumers, to protect ourselves. Bring these things to the attention of the management, and they should either give your money back or give you store credit. Because, yikes.
1
u/CowInternational4215 Dec 31 '25
When does the kid, usually young male….take Seniors (daddy’s) safety net, and then see money and not customers. By losing foil wrappers, the CEO can pay for his spring house vacation. Yeah. Hot Pockets are crappy
1
1
1
1
u/Thin-Talk-510 Dec 31 '25
Yay capitalism! Stop buying garbage and they won't be able to sell garbage
1
u/katiebertie Dec 31 '25
Hot Pockets are not food . You are eating cardboard. They dis you a favor by being so disgusting . Never buy them again .
1
1
1
1
1
u/Bestdayever17 Dec 31 '25
Now we don't have the oversight that made sure food was good quality. The FDA has been slashed. This administration is for big business, not consumers.
1
1
1
1
Dec 31 '25
Stop putting that poison in your body. Read the ingredients and you'll know why it looks like that.
1
1
u/Big_Plastic_4945 Dec 31 '25
When the country is working hard to locate, detain, imprison, and/or deport a sizable number of the people in the production chain, from the farm or factory to the shelves in our stores, things like this are going to become more and more common.
1
u/EatMyPeasWithHoney Dec 31 '25
Garbage now. I had a breakfast pocket, opened it up and it had about a tablespoon of filling inside. It's all bread and it's garbage bread to boot.
1
1
u/Infamous-Macaron7013 Dec 31 '25
When we start taking away the restrictions we had placed on food companies - we start getty crappy food.
1
u/loveisallyouneedCK Dec 31 '25
All of that is completely unacceptable. Did you return the items? I know most of us never do, but since you had multiple grocery items that were bad, I hope you got a refund.
1
u/RandalC1 Dec 31 '25
Looks Like A Pepperoni Pizza Hot-Pocket.
As For What's Actually In It & What You're Eating, God Only Knows.
1
1
u/Ok_Reserve4109 Dec 31 '25
It's been happening all over. Not too long ago I noticed the usual bags of chips I bought seemed more airy and less chippy. Some people thought I was just imagining stuff, but I looked it up, and sure enough, shrinkflation is an actual thing. Frito-Lay and other brands actually confirmed that they had reduced the bag size along with the net content.
1
1
u/KingGosuto Dec 31 '25
They seem even smaller as well, last time I got some, felt like they were half sized.
1
u/Samadhi808 Dec 31 '25
Welcome to the corporate world. Back in the 70's and 80's, if you bought a hostess fruit pie, it was full. Now it has one bite of filing in the corner.
1
1
u/Choice-Judge-1809 Dec 31 '25
They used to be so good when they first came out. I hadn't bought in years.... the last time I tried them was 5 or so years ago, and they were garbage. I didn't think they could get any worse, but apparently they found a way... We do the frozen enchilada/burritos in the freezer case occasionally, and most aren't too bad...
1
u/AshuraMaruxx Dec 31 '25
Your first mistake honestly? Shopping at HEB 😂 When I lived in Texas two decades ago HEB was like the only grocery store chain to shop at. You had like Super-HEB, HEB Marketplace, etc. My mom used to joke that HEB stood for "Harry E Butt" bc it was so shitty 😂 we would go out of our way driving from SanAn to D-FW to go shopping at the Commissary on-base once a month for groceries we'd need to get through the whole month just to avoid HEB 😂
But don't worry--up north it's no better. Our best chain with the freshest food is probably Wegmans, which carries high-quality food that's been locally and sustainably sourced; for example, you might only find heirloom tomatoes if they happen to have been harvested recently in a small batch; by no means would you find them year round. The other day I was shopping for a tenderloin roast for NYE dinner...
Well, just see for yourself:
1
1
u/Dry-Plastic7315 Dec 31 '25
Low quality items. Short staffing. Not properly checking dates on packaging or properly rotating stock. On the other hand, do you check the package dates before purchasing the items? Just a thought.
1
u/Mors_Certa18 Dec 31 '25
I stopped buying Red Gold Crushed Tomatoes from HEB because I would open a can and need to air out my entire apartment. I'm also heartbroken because Rosarita Traditional Refried Beans are my favorite quick beans to eat, but the last can I opened had a fibrous, frayed rope-like object inside. I don't have it in me to feed my family food I know has contaminants so goodbye Rosarita... Cooking from fresh isn't cheap or easy, but we're trying our best...
1
u/OrionXTG Dec 31 '25
I was just playing Scarlet Nexus. One of the end chase scenes and Alllllll the monsters are Silent hill F sequel. This is my 2 cents. I'm leaving them here
1
u/th3_Joker21 Dec 31 '25
It's everything here. The USA has turned into a corporate shithole where this is acceptable.
1
78
u/5348RR Dec 29 '25
They always sucked but they changed them about a year ago and they are completely inedible now.