Martin Lewis flags Wotsits packaging as misleading
Consumer champion highlights calorie count discrepancy on crisp bags, sparking wider debate on food labelling.
News London evidence indexOpen analysis ▾
No independent sources; only one named source (Martin Lewis) and no document cited.
Higher is stronger
No right of reply given; vague public reaction quoted without attribution.
Higher is stronger
Headline overstates issue; body lacks depth beyond social media reaction.
Lower is better
Consumer advocate Martin Lewis has drawn attention to the nutritional labelling on bags of Wotsits, a popular crisp brand. Lewis pointed out that the information provided on the 36g packet is calculated for a 30g serving. This means the stated calorie count of 148kcal does not reflect the total for the entire bag, which actually contains 178kcal.
Lewis shared his observation on X, formerly Twitter, on 29 July 2026, describing the labelling as 'misleading and unnecessary'. He questioned the logic behind the serving size, asking, 'Who eats 5/6 of a bag?'
London’s drought-hit capital sees first rain in weeks
Light showers bring less than 0.5mm per hour as hosepipe ban remains in place across the city
Public reaction and debate
The consumer champion's post initiated a wider discussion among social media users regarding food labelling practices. Many participants in the online conversation called for manufacturers to provide calorie counts for the full product package, rather than for a specific, often smaller, serving size. Some suggested that listing total calories would make consumers more aware of their intake, a move they felt manufacturers might avoid.
Questions were also raised about whether such labelling practices adhere to existing regulations, with some users speculating that companies might be following rules that are perceived as inadequate. Concerns were also voiced about the general trend of reduced portion sizes and the effectiveness of front-of-pack nutritional information.
Manchester United to field new midfielder Tielemans in Stockholm friendly
Belgian summer signing set for debut against Atlético Madrid on 1 August 2026
Other examples of potentially misleading labelling were shared by users, including mozzarella cheese portions being described as a single slice and cereal boxes being manufactured in sizes that do not accurately reflect their weight compared to older packaging. Newsquest contacted PepsiCo, the owner of Wotsits, for a comment on the matter.
News London Desk
This article was written at the News London news desk from the reporting of the outlets listed below it. Drafting is done by a language model under human editorial supervision — there is no reporter behind this byline, and we would rather say so than invent one.
How stories are produced and scoredWho runs News LondonCorrections
The London Ledger
A considered capital-wide edit delivered each morning.
More Coverage in World
London’s drought-hit capital sees first rain in weeks
Manchester United to field new midfielder Tielemans in Stockholm friendly
London Fire Brigade sends crews to Suffolk wildfire near Sizewell
