Some packs of Maltesers were reduced by about 10g last April

About one in fifty food products shrunk over the course of 2016, according to official figures that highlight the extent to which manufacturers tried to disguise price rises.

The Office for National Statistics (ONS) said that breads and cereals were most likely to have shrunk, followed by meats and sweets.

In most cases, the price remained the same when a product got smaller.

Manufacturers have blamed the rising cost of raw materials for reducing packet sizes but the statistics agency dismissed the idea of Brexit being a factor. The ONS said that while the collapse in the pound after the vote to leave had driven up costs, the “shrinkflation” trend remained “stationary” in the period after the referendum.

Food and drink products accounted for 70