Customers Have Noticed Serious Issues With Classico Pasta Sauces
While crafting a basic tomato sauce isn't difficult, it involves some patience, with drawn-out simmering time and plenty of chopping. So come a busy weeknight, it's perfectly understandable to reach for a ready-made jarred brand, cutting down prep time to only a few minutes. The problem is that the selection of grocery store pasta sauces is varied, with many options on shelves. One to avoid? Redditors are saying Classico's lineup of tomato sauces.
The formerly reputable brand has garnered an increasingly negative reputation online. Disappointed customers note a reworked formula as the cause of their ire: "The new sauce is thinner, less red, and has no tomato chunks," stated a Reddit poster regarding the brand's Pizza Sauce. They cited that water is now listed more prominently in the ingredient list, cementing the liquid-y accusations.
On a different Shrinkflation Reddit thread, users reported the same issue regarding the brand's Vodka Sauce, too. "The last few jars were so bad[,] I called the company to complain and was told they didn't change the recipe[,] which is clearly untrue — color, texture, flavor, thickness are all different and much worse," noted a commenter.
Unfortunately, even Classico's Tomato, Herbs, and Spices jar draws the same feedback, per a Costco Reddit discussion. "Felt like a jar of water for us. Like tomato soup when we mixed it with our noodles. I like a thicker sauce for sure," stated a user, cementing Classico's textural decline.
Customers have reported Classico pasta sauces have shrunk and turned more watery for years
Owned by Kraft Heinz, Classico pasta sauces are widely distributed, sold at retailers like Walmart, Costco, and Amazon. Worryingly, the brand's quality issues are more than just a fluke, with widespread criticism dating to at least 2024. Many consumers accuse Kraft Heinz of shrinkflation and lowering the quantity of sauce in addition to the taste.
A Facebook post contrasts two jars of Classico Sweet Basil Marinara, one released later than the other. The older version comes in a 650-gram size, while the more recent release has 600 grams, both reportedly sold for the same price. "We're likely paying the same amount for [less] volume and less [flavor]," stated the exasperated poster.
Some customers even take issue with the packaging itself. "The new jar (left) has a totally redesigned[,] smaller mouth and lid!" exclaimed a frustrated Reddit user, citing they used to reuse the container after purchase. It all adds up to a worrying decline. "Classico clearly changed stuff during the pandemic. Different ingredients or different suppliers or different production companies, maybe all of them," stated a Reddit user on a Shrinkflation thread, evincing a rough downturn for the Classico brand in the 2020s.