Does your meat package really contain the quantity indicated?

The Loblaw company (which includes the Provigo and Maxi brands) apologizes after selling packages of meat containing a quantity lower than that displayed on the label, thus overcharging for the products. The problem also affects Walmart and Sobeys grocery stores (which includes the IGA brand), reveals a CBC investigation.

Grocers seem to have charged in these cases the weight of the container in addition to that of the meat. However, federal regulations prohibit it.

Iris Griffin filed a complaint with the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) after purchasing a package of ground meat that did not contain the stated quantity at a supermarket Superstore of the Loblaw Company in Winnipeg, Manitoba, in November 2023.

The package was labeled to contain 1.834 kg, but Ms Griffin realized there was only 1.7 kg of meat (-7%), when she weighed it to freeze more. smaller portions.

I was angry. They made me pay for plastic [emballage] at the price of meat.

Following Griffin’s complaint, the Food Inspection Agency contacted Loblaw, which found the problem was affecting certain products in 80 of its western grocery stores.

According to Loblaw spokesperson Catherine Thomas, a change in packaging was to blame.

We have robust internal procedures and controls, but occasional operating errors may occur.

Even though 97% of our [2400] grocery stores were not affected, any overbilling error is one too manyshe adds.

The problem persists, according to CBC

However, in late 2024, almost a year after the Food Inspection Agency closed its case, CBC identified numerous packages of meat containing less than the stated quantity in various supermarkets:

• chicken at a Loblaws grocery store in Toronto, Ontario;
• pork, chicken and ground beef in a supermarket No Frills from Loblaw in Calgary, Alberta;
• pork, chicken and beef in a grocery store FreshCo from Sobeys in Toronto.

CBC also discovered packaged meat that did not contain the correct quantity at a Walmart store in Richmond, British Columbia, last week.

In these different cases, the consumer had to pay 5% to 7% more, the weight charged appearing to include that of the packaging.

We apologizerepeats Ms. Thomas, from Loblaw, who emphasizes that these errors did not affect the vast majority of its grocery stores. It promises compensation for affected customers.

Walmart and Sobeys assured CBC that they would follow up with third parties who weigh the packaging. We take the matter very seriouslyreplies Felicia Fefer, Walmart spokesperson, by email.

Terri Lee, a former inspector at the Food Inspection Agency, says the problem of charging consumers for packaging has been prevalent for a long time.

There were always a myriad of excuses: the regular employee was on vacation, head office was pointing the finger at the grocery store, and vice versa.

The cost of food has increased significantlyshe notes. It is extremely important to protect consumers.

L’ACIA takes the issue seriously, assures its spokesperson Patrick Girard, indicating that the Agency carried out 125 planned inspections in grocery stores regarding the weight of packaging during the 2023-2024 financial year. L’ACIA denies not imposing enough fines on offenders, often settling for warnings.

The system has no teethsays Tom Olivier, who worked for more than 20 years in the grocery industry, including 10 years as a manager.

With information from CBC