Everyone knows the feeling of reaching into a chip bag and finding less than expected.
But one Sam’s Club shopper’s experience took the frustration to a whole new level when she cracked open a chip bag from a variety pack and discovered what might be the most extreme example of the age-old complaint about chip bags being full of air.
Customer Documents Near-Empty Chip Bag
In a viral video with more than 197,000 views, TikToker Masey (@masey.wc) shared her frustration after opening a bag from a Frito-Lay variety pack she purchased at Sam’s Club.
“Okay. I just got this variety pack from Sam’s. I just took out the first bag of chips,” she says in the video, holding up a Frito-Lay variety pack that includes Sun Chips, Ruffles, Lay’s, and Doritos.
When she opens the small bag of Sour Cream & Onion Lay’s, the disappointment is immediate.
The bag contains maybe five chips, with the rest being mostly air. While consumers often joke about chip bags being filled with air, this takes it to an extreme.
“IKYFLLLLLLL,” text overlay on the video reads—internet slang for “I know you [expletive] lying.”
“@lays now you know better,” Masey added in the caption.
Why Are Chip Bags Filled With Air?
That “air” inside chip bags isn’t actually just air; it’s nitrogen gas.
According to Food Republic, the technical term for this packaging method is “slack fill,” and it serves two important purposes.
First, the nitrogen provides cushioning to protect fragile chips from breaking during transport from manufacturing facilities to stores. Second, the gas extends shelf life by preventing oxygen and water from making the chips go stale.
The Food and Drug Administration permits slack fill as long as it’s functional, Food Republic reported. Otherwise, the packaging can be considered misleading and illegal. Companies market chips by weight, not volume, so the actual weight listed on the bag must always be accurate.
However, not all brands use the same amount of slack fill. A 2018 study by Kitchen Cabinet Kings found that the industry average is 43% air. Fritos used just 19% and Pringles 28%, while Cheetos topped the list at 59% air, according to Food Republic.
Have Chip Bags Been Shrinking?
If it feels like there are fewer chips in bags than there used to be, that’s because there are. Shrinkflation,the practice of reducing product quantities while keeping prices the same, has hit the snack aisle hard.
In 2022, Food & Wine found that Doritos bags contained about five fewer chips than before. Consumer protection lawyer Edgar Dworsky, who tracks shrinkflation, discovered that Tostitos’ “Hint of Guacamole” shrank from 12 to 11 ounces in 2021, while “Hint of Lime” dropped from 13 to 11 ounces, according to CNN.
The price per ounce of salty snacks increased 36% compared to 2020, outpacing the 21% increase in overall grocery prices, CNN reported. The average price of 16-ounce potato chips in September 2024 was $6.46, up from $5.02 in September 2020.
Consumer backlash got so intense that PepsiCo—which owns Lay’s, Doritos, Tostitos, and Ruffles—reversed course in 2024. The company announced it would add 20% more chips to “bonus” bags of Tostitos and Ruffles for the same price, along with adding two extra small bags to variety packs.
“It’s about time,” Dworsky said of the change. “Chip lovers have suffered through years of downsizings.”
Commenters React
“Boycott all of these mf companies playing in our faces!!” a top comment read.
“I’ve been noticing how everything is getting smaller in size! Right under our noses,” a person said.
“Call the number on the bag or email them. they will send u plenty of coupons for more chips. I do it all the time,” another offered.
“Contact Sam’s and Frito Lay. You’ll get a refund from Sam’s and coupons from Frito Lay,” a commenter noted.
BroBible reached out to Masey via TikTok direct message and comment and to Frito-Lay’s parent company via email for comment. We’ll be sure to update this if they respond.