Fifty Unbelievable Food Scams That Will Shock You

Elsa Mishap

We all enjoy having cake, especially at birthday parties, because it brings happiness. However, if the cake’s theme hasn’t been properly researched, it can spoil the party and upset a child. This Frozen-themed cake serves as a prime example of a cake provider’s failure.

If the baker had studied Elsa, they probably could have created a better design. Another possibility is that the baker did do the research but simply didn’t possess the artistic talent needed to make a beautiful cake.

In any case, conducting extensive research before hiring someone is definitely beneficial.

Misleading Sandwich

When we purchase a sandwich, we usually anticipate it being filled, as that’s the expectation. Thus, we were completely shocked to find this empty meal. The advertiser clearly knew how to deceive people. From the shelf, you’d assume the sandwich was packed with ham and cheese.

However, when the person opened the package, this wasn’t true. This approach might have been effective for the brand, but it likely damaged their credibility. Ultimately, would you buy from a company that sells just bread under the guise of a ham and cheese sandwich?

The Deceptive Packaging

Who doesn’t enjoy a box of chocolates packed with delightful treats? Well, everyone except for the person who bought this product. We all would assume that the entire rows would be filled with chocolate. Yet, the packaging was designed to deliberately deceive the buyer.

What was seen through the transparent section was precisely what this person received. An overpriced box of chocolates that failed to meet its value is disappointing and irritating. Think about if you had purchased this item as a gift for someone.

The packaging strategy was clever, but companies certainly need to hire better marketing advisors.

A Remarkable Marketing Tactic

It’s well-known that we wish to buy a tin of Oreos due to its elegant appearance and greater quantity. However, this was merely a smart marketing tactic to encourage people to purchase a pack of six Oreos. We would assume that this tin cost more than the usual biscuit package.

We sympathize with the person who believed they were receiving a container full of Oreos. It’s surprising that a well-known brand would use such a misleading tactic. This highlights why you should always be cautious when purchasing fancy treats.

A Bottle Filled Halfway

Optimists often encourage people to view the glass as half-full instead of half-empty. Similarly, we would advise those who purchased this partially filled spice container to see it that way. The person who packaged this jar was clever, as the sticker cleverly concealed the fact that there was less spice than advertised.

At least, it seems that this person discovered it early on, as the picture was taken in the supermarket. They probably encountered many food scams before; otherwise, who would have thought to check the spice quantity by turning the bottle?

Don’t Judge A Snack By Its Appearance

We often purchase products based on their packaging. However, you should not buy this poppy seed brioche because it has very little filling. According to the consumer, the snack only had some poppy seed filling in the center. Incidents like these make us wary of all brands.

Moreover, marketing experts should not exaggerate their descriptions. Although many have bought the snack, the brand’s credibility has suffered. That’s why, if you see this brioche on store shelves, be sure to avoid buying it.

The Box Without Jerky

Beef jerky is a product that many people purchase from grocery stores because it’s easily accessible. However, you should steer clear of this specific brand unless you want only eight small pieces of beef jerky. The top sticker was intentionally placed to conceal the fact that the middle of the box was empty.

The person who posted this picture was very disappointed with the situation. However, if you look closely, the brand wasn’t as deceptive. Anyone who examined the weight of the container would have noticed that it didn’t contain much. Unfortunately, this person discovered it the hard way.

The Candy Meant to Be Frightening

Paleta Payaso is a favored snack among children and some adults. Usually, the treat inside the package is designed to be unusual, resembling a clown. At times, it might look scary, making it surprising to discover such a humorous treat inside.

It might not seem like a typical food scam, but it depends on your expectations. If you have tasted the candy before, you would find it amusing and share in the person’s disappointment. However, even if you haven’t, we’re sure you were expecting a clown. Well, sorry to let you down.

The cone without ice cream

Have you ever had pre-packaged ice cream cones in your life? If you have, you know that this picture shows a lack of ice cream. The chocolate ice cream should reach up to the cap’s roof.

The picture clearly shows the dessert has been opened recently, but the ice cream is shorter than the usual height.

It’s hard to find a trustworthy brand nowadays due to such food and other types of scams. We’re just glad we weren’t in that person’s situation.

Reduced Lindt

Lindt is a renowned, premium, and high-quality chocolate brand, which is why this food scam from them was unexpected. Originally, the box shown in this picture contained five pieces of chocolate. However, suddenly, Lindt began selling this product with only four chocolates.

Additionally, the brand also increased the length of the box, making it appear as though the quantity had increased. This is why the person in the picture purchased this package. However, upon getting home, they were disappointed to discover that Lindt had reduced the number of chocolates without any notice.

A Tomato the Size of a Burger

Most items on this list are food blunders caused by missing ingredients or other issues. However, this one is the opposite and involves a tomato the size of a burger. The customer had actually asked the waiter to add extra tomatoes to their fast food.

However, the restaurant chose to be generous by putting a large tomato instead of several small ones. As you can see, it’s as big as the burger itself and occupies more space than the patty.

As a result, the creator aimed to mislead people by making the burger look larger. It was successful with many people but also disappointed a lot because the taste was altered.

The Donut With Two Sprinkles

We have developed many theories about this unusual donut with two sprinkles. The first is that this treat was not meant to have any sprinkles at all, and that someone accidentally dropped the two pieces while the frosting was being applied. Additionally, some propose that the donut was originally intended to be a strawberry sprinkle donut. However, the chef chose not to add the sprinkles at the last minute, which resulted in these two pieces sticking. It should be noted that all of this is speculation. Regardless of the situation with this donut, we hope the recipient was pleased with what they received.

The Package Containing Just One Broccoli

This food scam is one reason we advise people to buy vegetables with transparent packaging or from a trusted market. The individual in this photo was shocked when they purchased a packet of broccoli roses for their meal.

Unexpectedly, the product contained only one large piece of vegetable, which was insufficient and overpriced. This left the consumer greatly surprised, prompting them to share the photo online as a warning to others. Therefore, if you plan to buy broccoli roses, make sure to avoid this brand, or else you’ll have to return to the store.

What would you like as the side dish?

Nowadays, restaurants appear to take instructions very seriously and literally. In the picture, a couple ordered sour cream to accompany their tacos. By examining the picture, you might be able to identify the restaurant’s mistake. Yes, you guessed correctly.

Rather than serving the dip on the side, an employee applied it to the actual edges of the tacos. The couple found this blunder amusing and chose not to reprimand the restaurant. However, this doesn’t mean that food establishments shouldn’t pay attention to instructions carefully. After all, the next customer might not be as forgiving.

Fewer Chips, More Air

It is well-known that chip manufacturers fill packets with air to make them appear fuller. However, Doritos went a step further by releasing a new package that seemed to be more filled. But upon closer inspection, you’ll find that the grams in both the smaller and larger packs are the same.

This marketing tactic disappointed many consumers who checked the gram values. Naturally, when this picture appeared online, many more people noticed it. This demonstrates why a brand should be cautious when attempting to deceive customers. We always pay attention to the small details.

The Bagel Lacking Vegetables

This food mishap is something we’re still trying to understand. At first glance, everything might appear normal, but upon checking the right photos, you’ll see that the other side is missing vegetables. This might be a simple error by the vendor. However, it could also be an attempt to deceive the buyer.

Regardless, the person who received this bagel was likely disappointed. Otherwise, they wouldn’t have shared the picture to highlight the error. We just hope this never happens to you or us. We would surely be unhappy due to the missing veggies.

Ice cream flavored like Oreos but without any Oreo pieces

Anyone craving Oreo ice cream today had their appetite spoiled. That’s because the container was filled with plain vanilla ice cream. According to the consumer, there wasn’t a single Oreo piece in this dessert. This cookie brand definitely has a history of misleading customers.

Previously, we highlighted the Oreo tin scam, and now this ice cream incident. Therefore, we advise you to purchase from this brand at your own risk. If this happened to us, we’d be upset about not getting our favorite flavor.

Ineffective Advertising

Do you suspect this might be a food scam involving a popcorn brand? If so, you’re not the only one. We had the same thought until we looked into it further. This product isn’t really about selling popcorn, but rather the cardboard container.

The actual product for sale here is the popcorn box itself, and the packet inside is just an extra. The idea is to give you a container you can fill with as much as you’d like.

It’s clear that the marketing team didn’t handle this well. That’s because many people purchased the box thinking it included a large packet of popcorn.

Bacon priced at $6

Many people frequently order extras at restaurants. The individual in this picture ordered bacon that cost $6. For that reason, they assumed there would be more of it. Unfortunately, they were served just this small portion of bacon, which left them very disappointed.

You might think the bacon doesn’t look small in the picture, but you’re wrong. The camera was positioned close to the dish, making it appear larger than it actually is. This highlights why sides should be ordered wisely at restaurants. A high price doesn’t always indicate a generous portion.

Bagel with Cinnamon but Incorrect Ingredient

Cinnamon bagels are meant to be plain without any additional ingredients. However, this particular product strayed from the usual recipe by including two raisins. The person who opened the bagel was surprised and momentarily thought they had purchased a raisin bagel. Normally, most people wouldn’t worry about this as the raisins can be removed.

Nevertheless, if someone were allergic to this ingredient and ate the bagel without checking, it could have led to problems. Since brands often don’t appear to be cautious, we advise you to be vigilant. Therefore, always inspect bagels before consuming them to prevent unexpected surprises.

A Burrito Without a Center

When the person who purchased this burrito first saw it, they believed it would satisfy their hunger due to its length. It was not until they opened the packaging that they discovered the burrito was not intact. It had been cut into two pieces and placed at the ends. The middle section, which would have made the burrito long, was missing.

This food deception disappointed the consumer and made them regret their choice. Observing this, we can only hope it doesn’t happen to anyone else. The burrito does not appear sufficient to satisfy an adult’s appetite.

What You Desire Vs What You Receive

On social media, you’ll come across numerous memes about food expectations versus reality. Many eateries tend to exaggerate when promoting a new dish or special offer. This picture perfectly illustrates how disappointing restaurants can be. The person ordered a nacho platter, expecting it to match the marketing image.

However, they discovered that the restaurant hardly added any sauce or meat as toppings. One might say there’s a silver lining since the customer got more nachos than anticipated. Yet, the lack of sauce makes this irrelevant.

A wrap with very little filling

A lot of people enjoy buying wraps for breakfast or lunch because they are quick to eat and satisfying. Unfortunately, this individual got a bad deal when they discovered their wrap wasn’t even filled to a quarter of its size. They had requested the restaurant not to include the egg. However, the restaurant failed to mention that the egg makes up the majority of the wrap’s filling, which is why it seemed lacking without it. Only two pieces of bacon were placed in the center, and less than half a slice of cheese was added to make up for the missing egg.

The Misleading Chocolate Chip Muffin

When you order a chocolate muffin, you’d probably expect it to be made with a batter of melted chocolate chips or have chocolate on the inside or outside. Unfortunately, in this instance, the dessert had neither, which is disappointing on many levels. No one wants to purchase a chocolate chip muffin that’s actually just a vanilla one.

What’s even more rude and mocking is that the manufacturers included only a single chocolate chip inside it. We would have preferred if they had put none. This is because it shows that they don’t care about satisfying customers and aren’t willing to make an effort.

A Cannoli in Bad Shape

Cannoli is a delightful Italian dessert featuring a fried pastry shell filled with a mixture of various ingredients. The example shown in this image is a subpar version of cannoli that doesn’t do justice to the authentic dish. The filling in this pastry appears incomplete.

This is frustrating, given that the dish is usually pricey. We extend our sympathies to whoever ordered it. If they had previously experienced true cannoli, they would likely be let down. However, if they hadn’t, they might find it somewhat appealing.

The Betrayal on Valentine’s Day

Valentine’s Day is an important occasion for many couples around the world, which is why it has to be perfect. Unfortunately, when this guy’s girlfriend was trying to think of a good gift, she decided to buy conversation hearts, which didn’t turn out to be as wonderful as she expected.

These conversation hearts were supposed to have romantic messages on them. As you can see, they have no writing. Not only that, but some of the hearts are poorly shaped too. This is why you shouldn’t buy something you haven’t seen as a gift. At least the guy had a good laugh about it when he posted this picture.

Incorrect Sushi

Sushi (nigiri) is a popular Japanese dish in the US, which is why sushi restaurants are quite common in the country. When this person ordered the avocado nigiri, they expected it to be sushi seasoned or topped with avocado sauce.

However, they were in for a big surprise when the restaurant arranged avocado slices on a leaf instead of sushi. This is one of the worst dining disappointments. We can imagine the customer was not pleased to receive just avocados instead of a complete meal. Had we been there, we wouldn’t have been satisfied either.

Appealing Packaging, Poor Content

Garlic bread is a beloved side dish for pasta, pizza, and various other meals, which is why snacks inspired by it are also quite popular. However, these garlic bread chips don’t live up to their packaging. You might have anticipated the snack to mimic the dish.

While it technically has the shape of garlic bread, the color and taste of the chips fall short. It’s hardly fitting to call this snack garlic bread. This scenario perfectly illustrates how attractive packaging can lead to the sale of a subpar product.

A Cookie Package With Incorrect Image

We all know that the images on snack packaging often differ slightly from the actual product. However, in this situation, the cookie inside the package is completely different from the picture on the packaging. The main difference is that the cookie inside is a chocolate biscuit with two chocolate chips on it.

Meanwhile, the image on the packaging shows a vanilla cookie with many chocolate chips. It’s hard to determine which part went wrong here. Did the packaging company make an error while printing, or did the manufacturers package the biscuits incorrectly? Either way, it wasn’t a pleasant surprise for someone who purchased this snack.

A Salad for $5

Living a healthy lifestyle can be expensive, as salads can be quite pricey. It’s also disappointing when you order one and receive only tomatoes with a few onions. The individual ordered a tomato salad which cost them $5. It’s clear the restaurant didn’t consider it carefully when they added the dish to the menu.

This salad essentially aims to take advantage of customers who choose healthy options over fast food because you can chop tomatoes at home and eat them for free. At the very least, the restaurant had the decency to use two different types of tomatoes.

Increase the ice, reduce the drink.

This beverage trick is something all fast-food chains have used since the beginning. They fill the cup with less than half the drink and fill the rest with a lot of ice. Fortunately, there’s a tip to avoid this.

When ordering takeout or delivery, specify in the instructions to exclude ice or have it provided on the side. Since you’re at home, you’ll likely have ice in your freezer. Plus, drinks are already somewhat cold.

The Unsatisfactory Sweet

Blueberry muffins are delightful and can effortlessly brighten your mood on a tough day. We believed this until we encountered this image of a blueberry muffin that is mostly plain. It has some frosting on top with the fruit, which makes it look enticing.

However, when the person sliced the muffin in half, they discovered there were no blueberries inside. The treat also lacked cream, which disappointed the consumer. This is why you should never buy something just because it looks appealing.

Looks can be very misleading, and this is precisely what this blueberry muffin illustrates to us.

Misleading Advertising

Seafood enthusiasts were likely eager to purchase this jumbo shrimp tray. However, the brand engaged in false advertising and didn’t fulfill its promise of providing jumbo shrimp. They used the packaging strip to deceive people into buying the product. The shrimp were separated in the middle, with pieces placed at the far edges.

This let the seller conceal the empty part of the tray with the name strip. As a result, customers believed they were paying a fair price for jumbo shrimp, but in reality, they paid more than they received. It’s disappointing, and we sympathize with the buyers.

Unfinished Tart Sticks

Children and young adults have a fondness for sour sticks, making them easily accessible in the market. However, even this snack is subject to fraudulent practices by certain brands. This image illustrates exactly what we mean. The sticks in this tray were intended to match the entire length of the box. But, as visible, they were shortened and filled only about three-quarters of the package. This is disheartening since people typically can’t get enough of sour sticks. Moreover, the child who received this likely spent the day feeling disappointed too.

The Broccoli Package Without Broccoli

We certainly sympathize with anyone who planned to use this broccoli packet for their meal. It didn’t have what it was supposed to, as it was filled with broccoli stems rather than the florets. While the stems do have some nutrients, their texture makes them unsuitable for most recipes. Consequently, someone’s meal was spoiled due to deceptive practices by the manufacturer. This situation illustrates another reason to avoid buying frozen vegetable packets. They’re not only pricey but also come with considerable risks. On the other hand, fresh produce from the market is a more reliable choice.

A Single Blueberry In Exchange For An Entire Pack Of Blueberry Granola

It appears that people often try to deceive when it comes to blueberry products, as this is the third instance on this list. When purchasing this blueberry granola, you might expect it to contain both components in roughly equal amounts. However, the manufacturer didn’t understand this, which is why the snack was not what was expected.

Without question, the packet is filled with granola. But when it comes to blueberries, there’s only one small piece visible in the picture. According to the person, the packet contained granola and some flavoring that was reminiscent of the taste of blueberries.

The Can With A Gap

This unexpected issue with the food took us by surprise and indeed shocked us. Usually, a can of tomato paste is completely full up to the top. However, this can surpassed all limits by having a large hole in the center that extends to the bottom of the tin.

If this tomato paste had been filled from the center, the consumer could have used it for a longer time. Unfortunately, what they got was a piece of tin. We are only left wondering how the hole could have been created. If the company did it intentionally, then we hope they get sued for it.

With additional sauce

Burgers are quite tasty when topped with our preferred sauces. In this image, the burger is missing BBQ sauce. Interestingly, the customer had explicitly asked the restaurant to add extra sauce.

So, either the employee didn’t pay attention while taking the order, or the kitchen got the instructions wrong. Regardless of the situation, someone’s favorite meal ended up being spoiled.

The burger appears dry and small, and even the onion rings seem smaller than usual. All we can say is good luck avoiding such disappointments.

The Chocolate Accident

Are you curious about what’s wrong with this picture? The packaging and the actual filling differ significantly. When you see the packet, you might be tempted to buy this product because of the extra chocolate. However, things aren’t what they seem. The picture shows that the actual cookie has barely any filling. It only has a thin line of chocolate cream, which isn’t even melted. This is ironic because that’s not how the cookie should be. For example, the sweet is called Milano Melt, which suggests that the chocolate should be melted.

The Polystyrene Technique

A mug full of candy seems like a great deal until you realize the candy was never actually in the mug. Instead, it was placed on styrofoam inside the mug to make it look appealing and voluminous. If we were the marketers, we would have put all the treats inside the mug to satisfy customers and encourage them to return for more.

However, we suspect that after reading this, you may no longer want to purchase one of these products. There is one bright side to all of this, though. At least the buyer got to enjoy some Jolly Ranchers instead of none.

The Chocolate Wafer Roll Without Chocolate

Here is another example of excessive packaging that has misled many people over the years. The wafer roll on the package appears to be filled with melted chocolate. However, in reality, it is dry and lacks the same amount. In fact, the actual wafer rolls have a hollow space in the middle.

This is why relying on imagery is never wise when purchasing products. They are solely for advertising purposes and do not represent the item’s quality or quantity. We sincerely hope that this type of deception stops in the coming years.

The Most Terrible Birthday Ever

Birthdays are meant to be joyful occasions full of laughter as they are a reason for celebration. However, the child at this party was not happy because he received a styrofoam cake. It might take a moment for you to notice, but that empty white base in the picture was intended to be a cake, not just a platform.

When the cake was delivered, the family was very pleased with its size and decoration. It looked appealing from the outside and tricked everyone. This is why we always recommend ordering from trusted and genuine sources by reading reviews and getting recommendations.

The Error in Manufacturing

Candy is delightful when it’s made the right way. However, everything seems wrong with the one shown in this picture. It hasn’t been produced correctly, and it’s noticeable. The two strips should be joined so both colors can be eaten together.

Yet, there was an error in manufacturing, leaving the strips separate. Interestingly, this snack brand is well-known, which makes it surprising that they would make such a basic mistake. We also question whether the candy is truly as long as a foot, as stated on the package.

The Expensive Piece of Cake

Cheesecakes are tasty and tend to be more expensive than regular cakes. However, this particular slice takes food pricing to a new extreme. It’s priced at $10, which is quite steep for a single piece of cake. Additionally, the slice itself is quite small.

Normally, cake slices are large triangles that fill most of this type of plastic packaging. The person who bought this dessert either got duped or must have really been craving it.

Otherwise, no one would spend $10 on such a small slice of cheesecake. Let’s hope it was delicious enough to justify the high cost.

Onions That Look Like Fish

If you glance at the picture just once, you might think it looks perfect and may not suspect it’s a food scam. However, you’d be mistaken, as this package, which supposedly contains mainly fish, is filled with onions. It’s a packet of frozen fish available in many grocery stores.

The individual who purchased this believed they were receiving plenty of fish since the box appeared full. However, once they opened it, they discovered that the filling was mostly onions, not fish. Only the thin outer rolls surrounding the vegetable were actually seafood.

Simple Pancakes with an Incorrect Name

Pancakes come in many flavors that significantly enhance the dessert. However, these cookies and cream pancakes are different from any others. The customer paid an additional $2 to upgrade to the premium flavor but felt practically insulted by the restaurant.

The establishment merely placed an Oreo cookie on top of the pancake and considered it done. Such an act warrants the restaurant being banned for deceiving customers. This is because this depiction is not how cookies and cream pancakes should be. Additionally, the box is too small for the dish and needs improvement.

The Unappetizing Meal

Schools are expected to be accountable and show respect toward students. Therefore, we were appalled when we witnessed a student’s lunch that was essentially stale and unfit for consumption. To add insult to injury, the child had to pay $3.25 for this pizza.

We sincerely hope the child declined to eat this slice of pizza. Firstly, it appears too old to be fresh, posing a health risk for the students. Anyone who ate this pizza probably ended up in the hospital later due to food poisoning. Let’s hope the school management pays more attention to their cafeteria.

The Affordable Way to Make Chicken Strips

Chicken strips are pieces of crispy fried chicken that many restaurants and fast-food chains offer as a side. However, this place has a new way of preparing the dish. They essentially fry a regular smooth chicken patty and then cut it into four strips.

Once the patty is cut, the restaurant calls it chicken strips. We believe serving this dish to customers is unfair because a patty cannot truly match the taste of traditional crispy fried chicken strips. What’s more, it costs more than typical patty dishes. Therefore, this approach surely disappointed the customer.

Cheese Fries Without the Key Ingredient

Fries are one dish we thought could never disappoint. However, this restaurant proved us wrong by serving the worst cheese fries we have ever encountered. It seems like they just placed a slice of cheese over the fries and used a microwave to melt it.

Naturally, the cheese didn’t melt properly in the microwave. Instead, it shrank and stiffened slightly during delivery. Whoever ordered this must have felt significant regret upon receiving the package. If it were us, we would likely have refused to accept and pay for such a poor order.

Stadium Food Fraud

Stadiums prohibit bringing in outside food to increase sales of their overpriced meals. Anyone who has visited knows that stadium food is notoriously overpriced. This burger exemplifies the situation perfectly.

It cost the individual $10 and lacked sauce. There was only one tomato slice, and the patty was too small to cover the bun. Overall, this burger isn’t appetizing or satisfying, which is disappointing given its $10 price. This is why you shouldn’t rely on stadiums to provide quality food.