Shopper calls out popular food brand with side-by-side photo comparison: 'They made it useless'

According to a Reddit post, Classico has redesigned its jars in a way that makes them less useful for home canning and repurposing.

What happened?

A shopper posted side-by-side photos of old and new Classico pasta sauce jars to the r/Anticonsumption community. The new jar holds 50 milliliters less sauce than before, which equals about three tablespoons less product.

But the biggest issue isn't shrinkflation.

"The one on the left has the same thread pattern as Mason jars so you can use two piece canning lids on them, and they fit on many blenders so you can make smoothies right in them without extra mess," the Redditor explained in a comment. "The other one is like a pop bottle top."

This means home canners who once saved these jars for preserving jams, pickles, and other foods will now get containers that won't work with standard canning lids. The new jar also eliminates the chance to employ a popular zero-waste hack for making smoothies without dirtying extra containers.

"They made it useless for canning," the poster said.

Why is this jar redesign concerning?

The switch eliminates opportunities for reuse that many eco-conscious consumers relied on.

Glass jars that work with canning lids help people preserve their own food and reduce their reliance on store-bought products and their packaging. When companies make their containers less versatile, more glass ends up in recycling bins, or worse, landfills.

Glass production requires tons of energy, often from dirty sources that contribute to the planet's overheating. While glass can be recycled indefinitely, the process still demands resources and energy. Reusing containers at home avoids these environmental costs.

Food preservation also helps combat food waste, which generates methane when it decomposes in landfills. Having fewer suitable jars for home canning makes it harder for people to preserve excess produce or bulk purchases.

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Is Classico doing anything about this?

Classico hasn't publicly addressed the jar redesign or explained why it moved away from Mason jar-compatible threading. 

The company's parent organization, The Kraft Heinz Co., promotes sustainability initiatives on its website, including goals to reduce virgin plastic use, and recently introduced a recyclable ketchup cap.

However, recycling requires more resources than direct reuse does, making it a less ideal solution for environmentally conscious consumers.

What can I do to help reduce packaging waste?

Other pasta sauce brands still use Mason jar-compatible containers, giving shoppers alternatives if they want jars suitable for canning. Buying sauce in larger containers reduces packaging per serving, and some stores offer bulk pasta sauce options if you bring your own containers.

Making homemade pasta sauce lets you control both the ingredients and packaging. During tomato season, buy from farmers markets or join a community-supported agriculture program.

Thrift stores and online marketplaces often sell affordable canning jars. While it means purchasing additional containers, proper canning jars last for decades with care, making them a worthwhile investment.

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