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Weight fraud

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Weight fraud (also scale fraud and short-weighting) is a type of measurement fraud involving the mislabeling or inaccurate weighing of products. In this deceptive practice, products are labeled or weighed in a manner that falsely indicates a greater weight than they actually possess. For fraud deterrence, many locales require periodic calibration of weight scales and employ inspectors to verify that the legal standard definitions of weights are being met.

The rise of self-checkout has led to consumer weight fraud at the register resulting in shrinkage. Customers may intentionally or unintentionally misrepresent the weight of products when using self-checkout machines, leading to a discrepancy between the actual and recorded weights of products.

Weight fraud can also involve the adulterating the product through the addition of lower-cost, inferior, or unnecessary ingredients, such as water, in order to increase its overall weight. This type of adulteration allows manufacturers or sellers to artificially inflate the weight of the product while reducing their production costs, thereby increasing their profits. However, this form of weight fraud misleads consumers and may negatively impact the quality, safety, or nutritional value of the product, potentially resulting in harm to both the consumers and the integrity of the marketplace.

In transportation, freight brokers and carriers may misstate weights to maximize profits.

Food fraud

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In retail food fraud, a product's packaging might state that it weighs more than it actually does, or a retail scale might be rigged to display an inflated weight.

The product's packaging may be fraudulently included in the product's weight, or if negligible, may be increased in weight, such as the pre-moistening of the meat diaper or adding ice to fish.[1][2] Other common forms of short-weight include the intentional glazing with a "marinade" of water, citric acid, and salt glaze.[3][4] The use of lower-cost plant-derived ingredients and the injection of water into meat may also occur.[5]

Seafood

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Shrimp and prawn may be injected with carboxymethyl cellulose gel to increase weight. Seafood may also be soaked in polyphosphates which have increased water retention allowing them to absorb excess water to increase weight.[6]

Tea

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Tea may be adulterated with fake materials and colorized agents to increase the volume that may be brewed.[7]

United States

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Retail

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In the United States, weight fraud is monitored by inspectors, and has been an ongoing concern.[8][9]

In 1910, the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture wrote:[10]

Several of the trade journals reaching this office have been waging a more or less aggressive warfare against the petty swindle of short weight in the grocery business. It is very difficult to believe that any number of retail dealers are willing to resort to such petty cheating for the purposes of adding to their profits. That some do, however, is shown by the facts put upon record by the men who are trying to break up the practice and by the action of several legislative and municipal authorities in moving toward the task of providing a remedy. It is a habit that is a disgrace to those who indulge in it and an injury to the consumer. It should be outlawed by the States, and the offender should be made to feel the weight of public scorn.

A 2021 investigation by KNSD in San Diego found that some retail scales were measuring lighter than they should. [11]

List of United States retail weight fraud cases

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  • In 1934, several New York matzoh manufacturers were found to be short-weighting their 5 lb packages to 4 lb 9 oz.[12]
  • In 2006, Albertsons was fined $2 million for failing to subtract packaging from deli and bulk food items.[13]
  • In 2015, Whole Foods in New York City was found to have routinely overstated the weight of prepackaged products.[14]
  • In 2024, Walmart settled a class action lawsuit for $45 million due to weight fraud.[15][16]
  • In 2024, Albertsons agreed to a $3.9 million settlement over allegations of fraudulent charging practices of promoting false weight of certain products.[17]

Agriculture

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To deter scale fraud, the USDS requires that stockyard owners, swine contractors, market agencies, dealers (including video auctions), packers, or live poultry dealers that weigh livestock, live poultry, or feed, must have their scales tested at least twice each calendar year.[18] The first scale tests must occur between January 1 and June 30 of the calendar year and the second must occur between July 1 and December 31 of the calendar year. A minimum of 120 days is required between these two tests.[18] More frequent testing is required for scales that do not maintain accuracy between tests.[18]

Freight

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In 1979, a GAO report found that household movers routinely inflated freight weights in a practice called "weight bumping."[19][20]

In 2016, Maersk was fined $3.7 million for falsely inflating military cargo freight weights.[21]

Freight weight fraud may also endangers carriers such as vessels and planes by shifting the center of gravity.[22]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ Ryan, John M. (19 October 2015). Food Fraud. Academic Press. p. 39. ISBN 978-0-12-803398-2.
  2. ^ Tuttle, Brad (26 September 2012). "There's Like a 50-50 Chance You're Paying Too Much for Seafood". Time. Retrieved 18 May 2024.
  3. ^ Sefcik, David (Winter 2009). "Seafood Alert!". NIST. F-026. Retrieved 1 May 2024.
  4. ^ Sefcik, David (December 2011). "Seafood Fraud – Where are We Now?" (PDF). Weights and Measures Connection. 2 (7). NIST. F-031. Retrieved 1 May 2024.
  5. ^ Li, Xiaoman; Zang, Mingwu; Li, Dan; Zhang, Kaihua; Zhang, Zheqi; Wang, Shouwei (3 April 2023). "Meat food fraud risk in Chinese markets 2012–2021". npj Science of Food. 7 (1): 12. doi:10.1038/s41538-023-00189-z. PMC 10070328. PMID 37012259.
  6. ^ Hellberg, Rosalee S.; Everstine, Karen; Sklare, Steven A. (30 November 2020). Food Fraud: A Global Threat with Public Health and Economic Consequences. Academic Press. p. 117-118. ISBN 978-0-12-817243-8.
  7. ^ Hellberg, Rosalee S.; Everstine, Karen; Sklare, Steven A. (30 November 2020). Food Fraud: A Global Threat with Public Health and Economic Consequences. Academic Press. p. 144. ISBN 978-0-12-817243-8.
  8. ^ Hamilton, Brad (22 November 2009). "The price is wrong: How city stores nickel and dime us all". Retrieved 29 April 2024.
  9. ^ "Weighty issue: Mislabeling of frozen fish, seafood rarely punished". Chicago Tribune. 25 April 2010. Retrieved 19 May 2024.
  10. ^ "The Short Weighted Fraud". Monthly Bulletin of the Dairy and Food Division of the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture. 8 (8). The Short Weighted Fraud.: Office of the State Printer.: 18 1910. Retrieved 29 April 2024.Public Domain This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
  11. ^ Flores, Sergio; Kjeldgaard, Nicholas; Dorfman, Mike (18 March 2022). "Are You Getting What You Pay For? Violations Discovered at San Diego County Grocery-Store Scales". NBC 7 San Diego. Retrieved 29 April 2024.
  12. ^ "Matzoh Moguls Are Summoned in Short Weight Inquiry Here". Jewish Telegraphic Agency. 20 March 2015. Retrieved 19 May 2024.
  13. ^ "Albertson"s to pay $2M in fraud case". Times Herald Online. 2 June 2006. Retrieved 29 April 2024.
  14. ^ "Whole Foods Accused of Overcharging by Exaggerating Weight of Packaged Foods, Officials Say". ABC News. June 24, 2015. Retrieved 29 April 2024.
  15. ^ DeVon, Cheyenne (19 April 2024). "You could claim up to $500 from Walmart as a part of a $45 million class action lawsuit—here's how to check". CNBC. Retrieved 29 April 2024.
  16. ^ "Walmart settlement over groceries sold by weight: How to get your money". WKYC Channel 3. YouTube. March 1, 2024. Retrieved 29 April 2024.
  17. ^ Barraza, James Ward and Paris. "Albertsons agrees to pay $3.9 million over fraudulent charging practices". The Desert Sun. Retrieved 2024-10-07.
  18. ^ a b c "Scales and Weighing". USDA. Retrieved 29 April 2024.Public Domain This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
  19. ^ "GAO Criticizes ICC Movers Data On Weighing". Washington Post. May 26, 1979. Retrieved 29 April 2024.
  20. ^ "'Weight Bumping'--Falsifying Household Moving Weights To Increase Charges--What ICC Needs To Do". GAO. May 1, 1979. CED-79-75. Retrieved 29 April 2024.Public Domain This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
  21. ^ "US fines Maersk subsidiaries for container weight fraud – Professional Mariner". Professional Mariner. March 14, 2016. Retrieved 11 May 2024.
  22. ^ "IMB unveils container weight fraud case". SAFETY4SEA. 14 November 2014.
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