{
  "id": 14487812,
  "title": "Why are portions of prepared meals getting smaller in Russia? Rising costs may be only part of the answer.",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/14/why-are-portions-of-prepared-meals-getting-smaller-in-russia-rising",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-10-14T16:22:49.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Meduza (English)",
    "slug": "meduza-english",
    "url": "https://meduza.io/en/news/2026/10/14/why-are-portions-of-prepared-meals-getting-smaller-in-russia-rising-costs-may-be-only-part-of-the-answer"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "In Russia, the size of portions for prepared meals has decreased by 10.3% over the last year, according to calculations by the analytics company Ntec, reported Kommersant. Despite being the fastest-growing category in grocery retail, prepared food only accounts for about a quarter of the market, a share that could rise to 40% by 2030, as stated by Stanislav Bogdanov, chairman of the Association of Retail Companies. However, profit margins in this category are low, forcing retailers to invest in central kitchens, packaging, and logistics, with 14% of products getting written off due to their short shelf life. While production costs are rising, producers find it challenging to pass them onto consumers, as intense competition and weakening demand force them to keep prices low. Consequently, producers opt for smaller portion sizes, according to experts. This reduction in portion sizes might be a result of both shrinkflation and changing consumer preferences, as noted by the experts. Russians buying prepared food have been increasingly opting for smaller snacks like onigiri, sandwiches, and hot dogs, with their sales rising by 48% in value in the first half of 2026, compared to a slower growth of 16% and 14% for main dishes and salads, respectively.",
  "summary": "Portion sizes for prepared food in Russia fell by 10.3% over the past year to 266 grams (about 9.4 ounces), according to calculations by the analytics company Ntec, as cited by Kommersant.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}