KFC responds to shrinking chicken claims: 'Zinger Box for ants?'
An Aussie diner has been left thoroughly unimpressed by tiny chicken pieces that came with his KFC meal.
A frustrated KFC customer who took issue with the size of chicken pieces in his order has struck a chord with other Aussies who say they've observed the same thing. But the fast-food chain says nothing is amiss.
In a Reddit post, the customer shared a photo of a meal he'd ordered, and slammed KFC over the small chicken pieces. "What is this – a Zinger Box for ants?" he captioned the pic. "ShrinKFClation?"
'Budgie size'
The Redditor's post garnered a lot of attention, with some 4,200 upvotes and fellow users sharing their views on KFC's main offering, among other things. "Stopped buying from KFC when the wings I bought were budgie size," one former customer replied.
New McDonald’s, KFC and Taco Bell open on 'questionable' Aussie site
KFC customer amazed by drive-thru detail at Sydney store: 'So cool'
"I noticed this too last time I got KFC and I haven't had it since," someone else seconded. "The chicken in the burger was smaller too and I got a single tiny piece of bacon in my burger. I can't remember how much it even cost but it was too much for what I got."
"The last time I had KFC, my two pieces of Hot & Spicy were more like one piece and two crumbs. Other times they have been generous sizes. I was too hungry to complain that time," a third chimed in.
KFC responds
In a statement to Yahoo News Australia, a KFC spokesperson assured customers there is a reasonable explanation for the size of the chicken pieces in the man's Zinger Box.
"KFC is proud to offer our customers great tasting chicken at great value. As our chicken is delivered fresh daily from our suppliers, there can be rare occasions where some cuts of chicken are slightly different sizes, just like pieces of chicken from the supermarket can be different sizes," the spokesperson explained.
Zinger Box changed
The Reddit poster's "shrinklation" comment, however, highlights one of the major issues Aussies have been grappling with as inflation and cost-of-living pressures increase. The term, which describes shrinking portion sizes that cost the same or more than they originally did, has become quite a popular topic among Australian consumers, with whole groups and threads dedicated to the topic.
Coles and Woolworths, as well as other fast-food chains including McDonald's have been criticised for shrinking their products. Last year, a McDonald's customer claimed the chain's burgers had shrunk, but Macca's denied this, stating there had been no changes to the size of their burgers.
Do you have a story tip? Email: newsroomau@yahoonews.com.
You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and Twitter and download the Yahoo News app from the App Store or Google Play.