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Creative Commons License

Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Abstract

Consumers increasingly scrutinize changes in food packaging, particularly in the context of “shrinkflation,” yet little empirical work has examined whether small dimensional changes in primary packaging affect perceived value when product weight is held constant. This study investigates the impact of minor tray dimension changes on consumers’ perception of serving size and product quality for ready-to-eat (RTE) frozen meals. Three single-compartment tray formats were evaluated: a control tray, a larger-volume tray (~18% increase), and a hybrid tray with an intermediate volume (~8% increase). All trays contained identical net product weight. Thirty-six untrained panelists from a local community participated in a sequential monadic sensory test, visually evaluating each sample on a seven-point just-about-right (JAR) scale for perceived serving size and product quality. Mean ratings for all trays fell within the JAR range, and one-way ANOVA revealed no statistically significant differences among formats for either perceived serving size or perceived quality (p > 0.05), leading to retention of both null hypotheses and rejection of the alternate hypotheses. Qualitative comments likewise indicated that trays were viewed as similar in fullness and overall appearance. These findings suggest that modest geometric adjustments—on the order of ±10% of tray volume—may be implemented without adversely affecting consumer perceptions, provided that product weight and visible fill level are maintained. The results offer practical guidance for packaging engineers and brand owners seeking to rationalize tray footprints, reduce material usage, or improve line efficiency while minimizing the risk of negative consumer reactions related to perceived downsizing.

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