In the news this week: McDonald’s struggle to decide, amid concerns that the dollar value menu is not generating enough income, whether the double cheeseburger should go up in price or become the double burger, sans cheese.

Obviously, they face a considerable dilemma. Customers are going to notice if the price goes up and they are most assuredly going to notice if the burger comes without cheese. I know I would! Cheese me!

But they certainly aren’t the only restaurant chain or food producer that’s feeling the heat from the puttering economy. TIME magazine reports: “Soaring commodity and fuel prices are driving up costs for manufacturers; faced with a choice between raising prices (which consumers would surely notice) or quietly putting fewer ounces in the bag, carton or cup (which they generally don’t) manufacturers are choosing the latter.”

For example, TIME says, some Kellogg’s cereal boxes have shrunk by 2.4 percent, the Wrigley’s 17-stick PlenTPak is now the 15-stick Slim Pack and Tropicana’s OJ containers are going from 96 ounces to 89.

I haven’t really noticed any smaller containers at the grocery store, but then again I have not specifically been looking for them. Maybe that goes to show that a lot of consumers aren’t going to raise a stink if the boxes or bags are a couple of ounces shy. On the other hand, I sure as heck have noticed the prices creeping up.

What do you all think? Have you noticed any shrinking food, and do you think smaller containers are fairer than higher prices?