LEGAL REVIEW RECOMMENDED

Lucky Star slammed over ‘near-empty’ pilchard tins

South Africa — [DATE NOT SPECIFIED]

Lucky Star faces public backlash after consumers posted photos showing near-empty pilchard tins, accusing the brand of shrinkflation.

The canned fish product, a household staple, drew criticism when shoppers shared images of cans containing minimal fish portions. The brand was favored by late former minister Tito Mboweni.

One viral tweet questioned: “Guys, I know this is our national tinned fish brand, but what kind of shrinkflation is this? 3 and 1/2 pieces of fish weighing 136g in a 400g can. Is @LuckyStarSA selling pilchards or tomato sauce?” (social media post).

Lucky Star responded officially: “We are sorry to hear this – and can assure you that this is not the proper standard that Lucky Star strives to uphold” (company statement).

According to Luckan, the company will investigate the specific production batch mentioned in complaints (company statement).

This outcry follows years of rising food prices across South Africa. Earlier in 2023, the Competition Commission noted pilchard prices had decreased slightly among essential items (Competition Commission report).

Major retailers currently sell 400-gram Lucky Star pilchard cans for R25–R30 nationwide.