Aussies shocked by sneaky detail in Tim Tam packaging

"Tim Sham!"

Tim Tams will forever be an Aussie staple.

Delicious chocolate biscuits in just about any flavour you can imagine - can it really get any better?

However, one Aussie has taken to social media to expose a trend he’s noticed in the treat, and it unearthed an even worse fact.

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Image: Reddit.

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“It’s disappointing to see”

An Aussie Reddit user has taken to the platform to expose the shrinking size of Tim Tam packets.

Showcasing a packet of the (delicious) Chewy Caramel flavour, he said there’s now only nine in it, with a whopping 42% empty space.

“Tim Tam Shrinkflation,” he said in the post.

“Probably been mentioned before but it's disappointing to see that you only get 9 Tim Tam's to a pack these days.

“I worked out it's 42% empty space inside. And without the plastic spaces in-between each bikky, you could fit about 17 in total.”

“Tim Sham!”

Commenters on the post thought it was slack.

“They should make it illegal for companies to sell half-serving packs,” said one person.

“I don't buy them anymore because of the price,” said another.

“Tim Sham,” a third joked.

But, others exposed that it’s actually always been this way - we just haven’t noticed.

“If you look at all the different flavours, you will see a bunch of different package sizes. They generally (but not always) do this so that they can keep the price per pack the same,” one commenter pointed out.

“Special flavoured Tim Tams are typically reduced in size to 175g (see also the deluxe flavour),” another agreed.

“You get less with the special varieties, it's always been this way,” said a third.

It’s unAustralian!

And, a quick look at Woolies proves that this is correct.

Despite all ringing in at $6, an Original packet of Tim Tams contains 11 biscuits, while the Double Coat contains just 9 - as do the Chewy Caramel and White Chocolate flavours.

The Dark Chocolate flavour contains 11 biscuits, again $6.

However, once you step up to the deluxe range, including Salted Caramel Brownie, Dark Choc Mint, Cafe Latte and Decadent Triple Choc, your $6.50 will only buy you 8 biscuits.

The Gluten Free Tim Tams will currently set you back $4.95 for just 7 biscuits.

Arnott's confirmed that this has always been the case.

"The Tim Tam family is comprised of several ranges. Each range contains a different number of biscuits and always has," a spokesperson told Kidspot.

"Tim Tam Chewy Caramel has been a fixture in the range for a number of decades now and has always come with nine biscuits per pack.

"The number of biscuits in each pack, and price differences, reflect the cost and complexity of ingredients contained in each pack.

"To help consumers avoid any potential confusion, the gram size and number of biscuits are clearly displayed on the front of each pack."

It’s about as unAustralian as it gets.

So, next time you set out to buy Tim Tams, keep bang for your buck in mind - or if you have a group of friends to share with, maybe opt for the deluxe range for a greater chance of an equal split.

Originally published as Aussies shocked by sneaky detail in Tim Tam packaging