For the past few years I have purchased my boneless skinless chicken breasts from places like Albertsons, Costco and every once in awhile even Walmart.
The last few times I have come home from Walmart with a package of chicken breasts I got this feeling like something just wasn’t right.
The styrofoam package and the little juice-soaker-upper thingy (I know… real technical) felt almost as heavy as the chicken breasts inside. I had this nagging feeling that I was getting ripped off.
So last week when I brought home another package of chicken from Walmart I decided to go with my gut and actually weigh the chicken and package.
In the store the price said $2.09 per lb. That’s an okay price – I usually get better deals at Zaycon.
Here is the package I brought home.
I paid $10.74 for the package. It says there is 5.14 lbs of chicken inside. At $2.09 per lb the price is correct.
So the first thing I did was to set the whole package on the scale to see if it was 5.14 lbs.
Ummm…nope! It weighs 4.938 lbs. So right there the price is off. I measured a few other items to make sure my scale was accurate first and it was.
I did read on the packaging it says “Contains up to 15% natural chicken broth.” I was assuming that it was injected into the chicken breasts or something, but I noticed a TON of chicken juices in this package. I think that is kind of weasly, don’t you?
Next I decided to take out all the chicken and see how much that weighed by itself.
This is all the chicken in the package. I tared the scale and then put the chicken on the scale.
3.97 lbs.
I knew it. Oh the humanity. I was irritated and annoyed at this point. I should have only paid $7.92 for this package at $2.09 per lb.
Still, I wanted to weigh just the package and juice-soaker-upper thingie.
This weighed almost exactly ONE pound.
So…that $2.09 per pound price is now $2.71 per pound.
Sneaky sneaky packaging.
I feel cheated. Duped. Bamboozled (yeah, I just went there. ) I wanted to run to my computer and share this all right away. But I was nervous. I mean posting online that I was ripped off at Walmart? What if I got the Oprah treatment? (sued)
Well, just in case, I will leave this little disclaimer…this problem may have only been at my local store and not chain wide.
One Week Later
I bought chicken again, this time I happened to be at Winco. The chicken was priced at $2.09 per lb again.
On the package it says it should be 4.04 lbs, but it was actually 4.15 lbs! Way to go Winco…you actually considered the weight of the packaging!
When I weighed the chicken it was spot on at 4.04 lbs. Their styrofoam package was not nearly as heavy as the Wally world one. Sheesh.
So anyways, I was going to say to always avoid these kinds of packages and just go for either the frozen bags at Costco or fresh from a deli. But Winco surprised me that they actually are honest in their policies of weighing the meat. (Big slow clap for Winco!)
As for Walmart – I didn’t call customer service or complain to them in store. We ate the $3.00 lb. chicken and it was tasty. No problems in the quality of the product, the problem I have is the jacking up of the price because of the packaging dishonesty.
I plan on going in again with my scale and see if it happens again. And if it does I will complain.
So watch out for chicken cheats and always try to get what you paid for because if you’re not careful you may end up paying over two dollars for a piece of slimy chicken juice packaging.
Oh and question everything my friends. If you feel something is wrong, it probably is.
About Karrie
Food is my love language. But so is saving money. So I like to combine the two a lot and make thrifty make ahead and freeze meals to save time. Because life is busy, and freezer meals can come to the rescue for all of us. And yes, they actually CAN taste good. Read more...
Comments & Reviews
Ninfa DePalma says
Thank you so much for writing this I had something very similar happen to me last week. When I mentioned to my husband he thought I was cray-cray!!! I thought it was odd that the packaging weighed more in my hand than the 5 individual split chicken breast after I cut off all the fat (just like Natalie mentioned above) that I had individually wrapped in my Ziploc Perfect Portion bags and put into a 1 gallon Ziploc freezer bag. From now on it Aldi for me, we are gonna get a Winco in a few months but it’s too far to be worth the discounts. Again Thank you and you should send your discovery to Consumer Reports so that they can expose the awful scam!! (back in the day of local butchers the meat was placed on wax paper then on the scale, weighed then wrapped, so you got a better deal).
WinCo Foods says
Karrie, thank you so much for the kind words! We love your website – it’s an honor working for you and all of your readers!
P.S. Huge thanks to Andrea V. for the link to this post. 🙂
Terry says
Just one more reason not to buy meat at Walmart. I avoid all of their meat, in fact I try and avoid this place all together. Much better to buy from a local chicken farm or butcher. This is an area in life where saving money isn’t always the best choice. Grass fed beef, good quality free range chickens and eggs and naturally raised and cured pork goes a long way towards health and saves money down the road.
toshia says
usually buy my chicken by the 10 lb bags or either go to a chicken outlet store and buy the case. it is a lot cheaper that way.
Jeanne Weitz says
This may not seem the thing to do but you could always poke a hole in the wrapper and drain the liquid off into the meat bin, when you go to the register demand that they weigh your package and correct the price. shady I know but sometimes you have to stoop to their level.
Jayme says
*sigh* Unfortunately, resorting to their level means everyone loses. Just shop at a reputable meat place, don’t try to get bargain meat (as it will never be good), and pay for QUALITY.
Shelly says
Please do not poke holes in the packages and drain the juices into the meat bin. That could contaminate everything in the meat bin.
The chicken is frozen with a dry absorbent “cloth” under it. As the frozen meat thaws, the juices are absorbed onto the cloth. Lots of stores besides Walmart have their chicken packaged this way.
Jennifer says
Salmonella anyone?
Amber Brunner says
I believe that Fred Meyer got into some legal trouble for this same thing a few years ago. I’d def contact the manager and corporate if you can. That’s just not right!
Jenn says
Not only disappointing, but also illegal. They are legally required to put the container on the scale, and tare the weight so they only charge for the meat. I can tell you this from working at a grocery store. Please do call your store and speak to the meat manager. Hopefully if us just a misinformed employee, but they are ripping off all their customers like this, if you don’t bring it up to them you aren’t helping the others. If you feel like the meat manager isn’t aghast enough then talk to the store manager, please. 🙂
Jayme says
😀
Sharise says
I don’t ever buy meat at Walmart. It seems like it’s more expensive and there is no fresh meat counter so I find it a little strange. Where does their meat come from and how long does it sit on a truck before unloading. I will stick to zaycon; Albies and Freddie’s for my my meat!!
Jacquelyn says
Thank you for posting. My adult son does some shopping and brought home some chicken breasts (not sure from where but he does shop Walmart sometimes. I never step foot in that store). I cooked them Sunday and mentioned to the family that I thought the package was heavier than the chicken. I didn’t have a scales to weigh them so just threw it away. I will question him as to where he got them and pass this on to him. Had so many bad incidences there in the past ~ can’t stand that store.
Natalie says
And usually the chicken at Walmart has a ton of fatty pieces still attached. You should have removed all the fat and then weighed the chicken maybe.
Jayme says
Really? And how is that helpful. When you buy your meat cheap, it will have more fat in it. That’s why I won’t buy cheap meat. I would rather pay a little more, get more meat at a better quality, and end up with more edible food. Remember, you get what you pay for. Low prices will typically mean low quality.
Brittany says
I love that even though you’re writing about something extremely irritating, I’m able to smile and giggle at the same time. Thanks for the humorous yet educational post. I typically buy from Zaycon as well but will watch for this issue in the future! 😀
Sandra says
Yes, definitely check the weight no matter where the package comes from. I bought the forty pounds of chicken from Zaycon once. Because I was splitting the package with a friend I weighed it, and there wasn’t even close to 40 pounds in the box. I called Zaycon’s customer service and they did issue me a credit, but not as much as the package was off. They tried to say that the 40 pounds included the box, but the label states “net weight”, so the box is not part of the weight. Wrongly stating a weight on food products is called misbranding, and a store can get into a lot of trouble for doing it.
Mickael says
The absorbing pad in the package is here so that the chicken doesn’t sit in its juice. When packaged, that pad weighs nothing. After a while, it absorbs some juice and gets heavier. There’s a weigh transfer from the chicken to the packaging. So while there’s indeed a missing 0.2lb, the chicken when packaged did weigh just about 5 lb, including the juice.
Karrie says
Hi Mickael, the problem is that the Winco “pad” for collecting the juices was a LOT smaller, like half it’s size. I mean I find it hard to believe that a whole POUND of juices should come out of 3.97 pounds of chicken..seems a little much.
Jayme says
That simply means that the WalMart chicken sat around longer. Not that they are deliberately ripping you off. Still not good, but definitely not sinister.
rick says
Water weighs 8.3lbs per gallon and at 16 cups per gallon then 1 cup would weigh about .5lbs. Try collecting all the runoff and juices to figure out how much was all just “broth” and see if its a legitimate 15% as advertised. Broth might weigh less than water but it should still give you a good idea of what’s really going on here.
Dina says
Forget the whole pad weight vs liquid. The law states the packaging is to NOT count towards the total price and in this you are ripped off if it isn’t done.
Tracy Spangler says
Thank you so much for posting this! I often ad match chicken at Walmart- it seems it may not be saving me money after all!!
Vanessa says
The problem I’ve had with frozen chicken is that once the pieces thaw out, they seem to have shrunk. Maybe I should weigh it after it thaws.
Karrie says
Ooh, good idea Vanessa. My only problem with frozen chicken breasts is that I do freezer cooking and I can’t thaw, then freeze again if that makes sense. So I usually buy fresh and then freeze it into my meals. But this would be good to know about their weight.
Jerrilynn says
FYI the Walmart breasts you bought were frozen. I buy them all the time and they’re often only half-thawed when I purchase.
Shelley says
I buy the frozen chicken breasts from Costco. The quality has never disappointed me! I am thinking there is no way that the weight could be off on frozen meat, right?
Natalie says
How much water weight does this frozen chicken have? Sometimes there is a large amount of water injected into the chicken before freezing. That is disappointing.
Niki says
Uuuuugggghhhh! VERY disappointing! I just bought a package the other day from Wal-Mart and now I’m for sure going to weigh it too (haven’t opened it yet). I did the $1.79/lb price match for it from Yoke’s so I figured just go to Wal-Mart for all of my things by doing the price match. But not so anymore for the meats if this is the case! There goes the whole point of the price match sale!!! So frustrating. And FYI – there have many several times that I have noticed just a regular item off the shelf rings up a different (always higher of course) price than what the shelf said. I have had to go to customer service to get reimbursed and it’s not even about the money at that point (I don’t think it’s ever been more than a $1 difference) – but it’s the principal. I may have noticed but you know probably nobody else buying those products did. It’s down right wrong – and is it illegal??? Especially when it happened on the same products when there was a two week gap in the time of which I purchased it which means nobody did anything about it??? Due to my past history of these things occurring I am pretty good – as best I can – at trying to keep a mental note of prices off the shelf and looking over my receipt when I get home. But since I have had issues if my chicken doesn’t match up to the weight I will call and complain!!!!
Jill says
Have you tried mentioning it at the register? If you’re able to watch items as they’re rung up (i.e. you don’t have kids distracting you), and you mention the price difference at the register, they’ll usually fix it right there without even checking.
Niki says
Yes Jill – as I mentioned as best I can I try to pay attention. When I am sans kids I can but when they are with me I just have to check afterward which means dealing with it afterward. When I have noticed during the checkout process they do change it. But like I said, it’s the principal. A person shouldn’t have to be watching the prices because the price on the shelf should be the price on the register – it shouldn’t take the customer to double check especially when it has happened as many times as it has with me.
jaime says
I rarely shop at Walmart but on the rare occasions I’ve gone there things have frequently rung up over the shelf price. Our Walmart checkers can’t adjust the price. You can either pay the higher price and try to get a refund at customer service or don’t buy the item.
Wayne says
What all stores need to do is go back to putting price tags on all the products like they use to do and then they cant rip people off like that. It’s almost impossible to remember what the price of something is unless you’ve just got three or four items.
Gone to the Zoo says
You shouldn’t have to mention it in the first place. They know full well what they are doing and are betting that such a SMALL percentage of people will chatch them that it is worth the chance. I refuse to purchase anything at Walmart, always read labels and only purchase MADE IN AMERICA products. Yes we pay more (thank you UNIONS) but at least I can say I support AMERICAN MADE goods. In most communities you can find a Farmers Market where fresh goods are sold.
Cindy says
In Michigan we have a “scanner’s law” so that if we are charged a higher price than what is posted, the store has to pay 10 times the overcharge, up to $5.00, plus the amount of the overcharge. For example, if an item is posted for $3.25, and you are charged $3.50, you would be reimbursed $2.50 (10 X 25) plus the 25 cents on the overcharge, for a total of $2.75. If you were overcharged by 51 cents or more, you would get the 51 cents plus $5.00, since the highest you would get is $5.00 plus the amount of the overcharge. You still have the problem of remembering the prices, or jotting them down on your grocery list next to the item (if you even carry a list—which I don’t). I shop and buy what ever is on sale and stock up on good buys.
Kat says
Wow, I wish we had that law. I was at the store the other day and was overcharged by $2.
CB says
In Canada we have the ‘Scanning Code of Practice’ that many stores follow. If the price on the shelf is lower than the price the item rings up at, you get refunded the full purchase price up to a maximum of either $10 or $20, and for only one item (so if you buy 4 of the same thing, you get reimbursed for the full cost of one item, and the price difference for the rest).
I once went shopping for ice cream that was on sale at our local Superstore (Loblaws). Bought 4 different types of frozen treats. The sale prices didn’t get uploaded to the computers properly so I got all 4 things of ice cream free. It was a good day. 🙂 The only thing is you have to pay for it all then go to customer service to get the refund. If you mention the price error when it’s being rung up they will fix the price & no refund.
de says
Same law in Ohio.
Kim says
Worked at Walmart for 5 months as a cashier. The one price on the shelf another when you ring it up is common and MOST people do not catch it.
I would suggest taking a sharpie with you, mark the shelf price on the package of all items then compare after check out (or during if you have the patience and time). I did it at all the local stores I shop at, each of them I ended up paying more than the shelf price. Walmart was by far the worst result costing me an additional almost $5 on an $80 grocery trip. Buyer beware indeed.
Janelle says
I worked as a cashier for Rite Aid for a few years and sometimes we did have items that rang up the wrong price… always higher obviously because there were sale prices that seemed to have never gone through the system. It happens in all stores. There are so many user errors, as a shopper you have to double check stuff. And also if you have the laws that the stores pays you overcharge then great!
Rhonda Troxel says
That is an awesome idea! I’m gonna start taking my Sharpie with me on every grocery shopping excursion! Thanks! I love it!
valarie says
I think if you going to say this and post it is pointless unless you go to your store and have a conversation. It could be one employee not doing the packaging right. As for Winco, I go to two to of them frequently and one is awesome and the other lame. Customer always beware of any retailer.
Jayme says
I was thinking the same thing. Why come online to complain without giving the company any opportunity to correct the mistake or to make sure it doesn’t happen again. If it is a company problem, than that would be different. But there isn’t even the benefit of a doubt here. Innocent until proven guilty? I guess not in this bloggers world.
ann woodward says
Just a response to your comment about possibility of a “local” issue. I shop at a Walmart in North Carolina, and thought I don’t usually get my meat there, occasionally I have gotten chicken breast there. I did not go so far as to measure the weight, but made a mental note that the “juice thingie” was soggy and heavy with liquid. This is not to indicate that I believe all Walmart meat markets purposely do this sort of thing, simply to say that my local WM has.
Barbara says
My local 3 walmarts do the same thing with the juicy thingy. Any one seeing a pattern here?
Chad says
I think the measurements pretty much prove guilty…………lol
Caitlin Weaver says
Walmart’s meat is not packaged in the store. It is packaged in a factory miles and miles (maybe hundreds of miles) away. It’s pointless to go to the store and have a conversation, because you’re dealing with a corporation. Walmart store managers have absolutely zero control over this issue.
Kathy says
My family and I have strayed from Walmart as well for some of the very same reasons as stated. In addition, do some checking as to the conditions for those who work in their shops and manufacture their line of clothing, I think you will be surprised. I stopped buying clothing from them a while ago. At times the one stop shopping seems so convenient and I think that is where they have gotten me in the past. Not any more though, It takes more time and gas to travel but I want to spend my “honest earned buck” at a store whose integrity falls in line with my families.
Maybe if enough of us are willing to be inconvenienced and take a stand against the practice of deceit, stores such as Walmart will realize that the VALUE of TRUTH is priceless.
Thanks Karrie for this, we got ur back girl:)
Doc1 says
Kathy ,
where do you buy your clothes ?
If you are buying anything that is made outside the USA then all you are doing is paying a higher price for the same product
If it does not say USA America then you could be buying from USA Japan. This an old marketing trick from right after WWII.
The clothes you buy from Target ,JC PENNY, KHOLS, or anywhere else is made in the same sweat shop. All you are doing is paying a higher price for the same clothes
chainmailCavalier says
>If it does not say USA America then you could be buying from USA Japan. This an old marketing trick from right after WWII.
No, no it’s not.
PIDI says
Usa, Japan is a very small town with little to no industry. I’ve actually drove through Usa, and if you sneeze while driving through the town you might just miss it all together. The Usa myth is something generate and kept alive by the Unions to scare people into buying American. While Buying American should be something any patriotic American should be concerned with. The unfortunate fact is big money has shifted so much of our economic goods offshore to “save” money. We should gave been beating the drum much louder long ago…
RB says
http://www.snopes.com/business/genius/usa.asp
Patrick Asplund says
The idea that the U.S. Customs Department would simply shrug at Japanese products marked “Made in USA,” despite the confusion they would obviously cause, simply because they were “legitimately” identified as coming from the Japanese city of Usa is just silly. Lest anyone think that U.S. Customs inspectors were lax about enforcing the rules or willing to look the other way, consider the following difficulty Sony experienced with them as late as 1969 when Sony tried to downplay the fact that its products were Japanese in origin:
. . . despite the Japanese flag flying on Fifth Avenue, most consumers, including actual customers, remained unaware that Sony was a Japanese company. Morita [President of Sony Sales] was uneasy about the possibility of a negative reaction, and did what he could to sustain the misapprehension. The required “Made in Japan” label, for example, was positioned on the product as inconspicuously as possible, in the smallest permissible size; and more than once, Sony edged below the minimum, causing U.S. Customs inspectors to turn back shipments.
A notable exception to the USA’s import laws is the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, which is allowed to use the “Made in USA” label on their products and export them to the USA duty-free. Legislation was introduced in Congress to close this loophole (also known as the “Saipan Scam”) in 1999, but it died in committee.
Read more at http://www.snopes.com/business/genius/usa.asp#flzjX8mHYq8twZo3.99
ddp says
The Northern Mariana Islands are territory of the USA. Therefore, it can legally claim “Made in the USA.”
Jen says
Having worked in the clothing wholesale industry for many years, I can tell you that most clothing made in the U.S. is MUCH more expensive than that made overseas. This was not the case 15 years ago, but is surely is now. It’s cheaper to buy goods and have them shipped to America than it is to buy something made three states away. And truthfully, most businesses (especially larger retailers) will go with the less expensive nine times out of 10, in order to maximize their profits.
Julian says
It’s not necessarily to maximize their profits. Consumers generally don’t want to pay the higher costs for domestically made goods, so it won’t sell. Retailers don’t carry what won’t sell.
Sephia8 says
It’s not that they don’t WANT to pay higher prices, it’s that they CAN’T pay higher prices. I’ve seen Wal-Mart employees wearing clothing that was hand stitched back together because they couldn’t even afford a new pair of khakis from the store they work in!!
When you put profits over people, then people can’t even buy what you are selling; when the majority of their money is going to rent, food, basic essentials like heat, electricity, & water!
Wal-Mart has no problem giving a few game show contestants $50,000 a year for 2 years, but has every problem under the sun to give their employees living wages.
JustMe says
USA Japan is an old wive’s tale http://www.snopes.com/business/genius/usa.asp
RJK says
Couldn’t disagree more.
I have no idea where any of my clothing was made, and I couldn’t care less, but I will tell you that WalMart has some of the flimsiest clothing I’ve ever experienced. It falls apart like that *snaps fingers*, never lasting more than a season or two. Meanwhile, I have clothing from Kohls that has lasted 10-15 years and still going strong (and if you take advantage of sales and such, it’s not that much more expensive – shop the clearance racks and it’s often actually cheaper).
In fact, now that I think about it, I have a dress that I’ve had, believe it or not, since I was 12 years old, and at age 31, I just donated it because it didn’t fit that well anymore and was starting to fray at the hems. My parents got it at Kohls.
Carol C says
I encourage everyone to see Michael Moore’s documentary ” Capitalism: A Love Story” It
DBL says
I recommend staying away from anything produced by Michael Moore, a deceiver who uses the documentary approach to filmmaking to avoid paying actors and union scale. Moore then proceeds to put himself forth as a man for the “people””.
He’s the worst sort of fraud.
Michael Beals says
Agreed
The Dude says
Care to attack the message rather than the messenger? Are the facts wrong in the documentary?
Stace says
Seriously? He’s a documentary film maker, dude. As a general rule, documentaries don’t feature actors.
Robert says
Just as Stace said, the documentary approach is to make a documentary. Actors are for crap little stories that are made up in people’s minds. Documentaries are generally meant to be about the truth of a matter, or at the least, someone’s view or interpretation of such. Though, I might not like, or agree with, everything that Michael Moore has produced, I don’t act like another sheep, screaming that he is a fraud because he did something that I didn’t approve of. Try putting politically biased views aside, and learn something for yourself without the government telling you what to think. Sometimes the truth is unsettling, but obvious. An individual who can not think and speak for themselves without dependence on news media perpetuated by the government is of no use to this country at all.
Bama Hound says
Michael Moore is a slob and an idiot. Who would view or listen to anything he has to say.
Stace says
He’s a self made man, and an Oscar winner. What have you done?
Gone to the Zoo says
I agree Michael Moore is a slob and an idiot. He is only out to prove what and idiot he can be. Anyone who puts faith in his babble is as big an idiot as he is.
de says
Michael Moore twist facts, fakes interviews and places events out of order to make the story fit his preconceived ideas. Google it.
Lori-Ann says
Thank you very much for that. I also have stopped shopping at Walmart. It was a wonderful company when Sam Walton was alive. I used to be a manager for them for many years. However when I saw the decline of not only the products they carry, (which is not the lowest by any means) but also the way they treat their employees here it is despicable to me. I would rather drive 20 min out of my way than give them any of my hard earned money.
Wayne says
I quit shopping at Wal-Mart when I watched the documentary called “The High Cost of Low Prices” and found out what they’re really all about. They’d have to be the last store in the world before I’ll ever shop there again. And in all honesty if they were the last store I think I’d go back to being self sufficient we were when I was a kid living on the farm.
I had wanted a nice quilt for my bed for a very long time but I couldn’t find anything that I liked except at Wal-Mart and I wouldn’t buy it. It took me three years of looking but I finally found one that I liked at Target and bought it.
When Mr. Walton was alive Wal-Mart stores were great, but when he died and his greedy family took over everything went to hell.
wanda ll says
I to have noticed this using the Walmart brand meat. Matter of fact I said something to my hubby about it. He just laughed at me. I was upset so no longer buy meat there.Walmart is no longer the Walmart it was 10 years ago. The family has strayed from Mr. Walmart( who passed and left the company to family members) would be so upset seeing what has happened. They are no longer buy in America either. Look at your canned veggies see where they come from. I’ve got a huge Mushroom growing place near me but the cans with Walmart brand come from China. Now who wants food from China? No me and I hope not you. They try to kill their own babies with bad baby food ,cats and dogs with bad food why not us with bad food. Go figure good way to get rid of us.Just my thoughts come to your own conclusion.
Watervendor says
Funny thing is their life expectancy by WHO isn’t that much lower than USA after they got out of self-induced poverty 2, 3 decades ago lol. In any case you’re right, walmart does import too much of their food.
saul says
your post reeks of generalization and idiocy, you seriously think america is any better?
George says
Oh yeah- I think America is better. It’s a big factor in why I’m here. Why may I ask are you here?
Ginger says
George,
It is a big factor why America is what it is for people like you- losing its international importance due to disagreement in Congress and the public in general. I believe you need to rethink your statement and stop generalizing any culture. Grow-up and step up to the fact. if you do not get your facts and figures right you will be stripped naked in public looking like an idiot. True we should buy American and I do that myself, but not at the expense of abusing someone’s country or culture. America is a great nation and a wonderful country, but it is also the Land of the Migrants. So stop chewing your damn bloody ideas and do reconsider your thoughts. Take care!!!
Gary says
Yeah you’re right we just stick to spraying movie theaters and schools with bullets. I guess that makes us better
Mel Proper says
Thanks for posting this! I live in a rural area with only a couple of grocery shopping options. I almost always buy the Walmart chicken you posted for $2.09/lb, and it’s very rare to find BLSL chicken breasts cheaper around here. I’m going to check the next package I buy to see how much actual chicken I’m getting for the price. If I find the same thing as you, I won’t have an issue paying a higher price per pound for a different brand.
Monica says
OK let me tell you what to do call the Dept of weights and measures. All stores are required by law to only charge for the weight of the product. All scales are tested yearly with weights ranging from 1/2 to 5 lbs. There is a hefty fine for violations. I would weigh your chicken before you bye it the next time. I work in Seafood and have had people come to me and ask to have pkgs weighed.
Daveydav27 says
The bad part is, the individual Walmart stores do not package their own meat. It is brought in pre-packaged from from their distribution centers, so “fresh” meat is something that you are not really getting from Walmart anyways. I personally do not shop Walmart for personal reasons I will not delve into here. I always shop at local stores that have an actual meat counter, and shop at stores that support local farmers, and growers. If you are unsure where the meat comes from, you can ask the butcher or whomever is working in that department, and they will let you know where it is sourced from.
Bron Zeage says
The reason Walmart does not package their own chicken is because the meat packers union made a move to organize Walmart butcher departments. The butchers were laid off and all meat comes packaged by the distributor, ready for the shelf. The cool part about the pound of moisture absorbent is Walmart paid for that, too.
Missy Homemaker says
As a former Walmart Distribution employee, I’m not defending them at all, but you’ve given false information. My dad just retired out of the Walmart meat department and he was hired in as a meat cutter. No one was laid off when they made the switch. They did it to save money as it was cheaper to buy prepackaged than to pay meat cutter wages. No one’s wages were cut when this happened either.
Debs says
The thing is…NO ONE should have to pay for it =(
Nancy says
Missy is young. She doesn’t know there is a difference between ‘meat cutter’ and a Butcher. In the olden days butcher’s were trained for over a year as an apprentice to learn all about cows, pigs and chickens and how to kill, drain and prepare the meat. I’m afraid todays meat cutters do not receive a fraction of this training and are paid less.
Darcy says
I agree. Have not shopped at Walmart in 10 years. I prefer my food fresh not prepacked in a warehouse somewhere among other things…
Teresa says
I used to be a meat cutter at winco, many years ago, and the weight of the packaging has to be subtracted (Tare Weight) It is very embarassing to a store when Weights and Measures show up and closed the meat counter with a sign standing in the counter. This did not happen at winco, but I have seen it in other stores. They also check the ground beef by cooking it, with equipment that separates the fat and the water from the beef, and if it does not come up to what the statement on the label says (15% fat) the counter is also closed. I think that started because ice was being ground with the beef and you paid for the water in the ground beef…and it makes it a bright red, and appealing.
Katalina says
They need to be reported. Probably what is going on is the old weigh and package while frozen. And as we all know frozen water weighs quite a bit more than liquid water.
Ralphs grocery store chain got in big trouble for doing this a few years ago when someone reported them and they had to stop the rip-off practice. I suggest doing this for this store…it’s NOT legal.
Karrie says
Okay, I hear you all! I will try to contact them and let them know, then update this post. I just get frustrated with trying to contact company owners sometimes.
Rachelle says
1-800-walmart if they get 3 complaint from the same store on the same product supposedly ou will probably get more action by going to the media.
I NEVER use an email address so that wont do you any good. I havent checked it in probably 6-8 months.
Someone who knows. says
Firstly frozen or liquid a certain volume of water weights the same. Second the WM chicken pictured comes into the stores from Tyson foods. It is prepackaged and pre-priced. During shipping and placement holes occur, so some of that “chicken broth”‘ (salt water) leaks out. They call the process of adding water plumping. You may save a little money but you’re buying 15% of the total weight in water. Watch what you buy, read the lable and ingredients list. For instance there are 100% ground beef burgers, and beef patties which are made with beef hearts and textured soy protein. Caveat Emptor.
gfbrandenburg says
Actually a given volume of ice has a slightly lower weight or mass than the same volume of liquid water. It’s one of the very few liquids that actually expands when it freezes. Which is why ice floats instead of sinking.
Ted says
Frozen water weighs more than liquid water? WHAT?
If you have a pound of water and freeze it, it’s still going to weight a pound. It’s not going to suddenly convert energy into mass and weigh more.
Frozen water is actually less dense than liquid water. Meaning that the same weight of water, when frozen, will take up more space than it did when liquid. So by volume, frozen water actually weighs less than liquid water. That’s why ice floats.
FlowerPower1234 says
Whew! Right on, Ted! I was getting aggravated with the water/ice weight discussion and you explained it exactly right :o)
Ree says
Oh where is the like or thumbs up button? I knew the fact would be righted and you did it so well Ted.
J3means says
Frozen water does not weigh more than liquid water. It occupies more space than liquid water and could be said to weigh less for a given volume.
Joe says
“frozen water weighs quite a bit more than liquid water.”, this is untrue. Although the density(mass per volume) of water and ice are different (ice is less), if you weigh a kilogram of ice then let it thaw it will still weigh the same. Mass has to be conserved. Volume does not however and this is why ice floats.
Pam says
1 pound of water frozen will equal 1 pound of ice. Not sure why you think ice is heavier than water. It does not gain any more molecules….Just saying.
Larry Gist says
Are you REALLY that stupid? One pound of water, when frozen will yield one pound of ice, the MASS will be more as water expands when frozen (it will take up more space) but NOT more weight. I hope you are not reproducing…
Adisharr says
Actually the volume will change but the mass will stay the same.
Rachel Craik says
Larry,
Did you really need to sound so condescending by calling those who made a mistake stupid?
The Dude says
When you say “as we all know” you should make sure what follows it is actually true, or you end up looking a bit silly, such as in this case.
hmm says
lol they weigh the same
marie says
um… where in the world did you get the idea that frozen water weighs more than liquid water? freezing does NOT change the weight of something! And if you go by volume, the same volume (like, a cup) of frozen water weighs LESS than a cup of liquid water because water EXPANDS when you freeze it. (not shouting, just emphasizing, ive just never heard anyone say this before, so im surprised. As to the rest, i wont buy chicken thats 15 percent salt water, that is way too much money for something that, if i wanted to, i could add myself. Not to mention a lot of adulterated foods make me physically ill.
Judy W says
I don’t know which weighs more, or if they are the same, but if you happen to drop the frozen chicken on your foot while removing it from the freezer, it feels like it weighs 5 times more.
Debra says
Judy, you are right…and funny to boot.
Jerome says
It hurts more when frozen drops than non because of displacement- in non-frozen form, when the chicken hits your foot, the mass is displaced upon impact, so that the areas affected are even. When frozen, the mass is not able to be displaced. Same reason why punching a wall hurts more than a pillow, regardless of the force of the punch. How all this came from weighing f#*%ing chicken, I can’t explain.
dennis says
frozen water does not weigh more than liquid water. really?
greekuS says
LOL are you a troll or stupid
Lynne says
Ok, just checking your meaning. Frozen water weighs MORE than liquid?? Please clarify/correct that comment, because I do not really think that is what you meant to say. It is not possible for water to gain weight just because it has become frozen. Not scientifically possible.
REM says
Frozen water weighs exactly what liquid water weighs. 1 gallon of liquid water weighs 8.34lbs, and when frozen weighs 8.34 lbs. However a given VOLUME of frozen water, when thawed will take up a greater space. So you could say that by volume frozen water weighs LESS than liquid water, however that is only true by volume. 1 lb of any liquid when frozen still weighs the same, only its volume changes. Water does weigh slightly less (as do other liquids) when heated, but again it is because it takes up a greater volume as it expands.
Billy says
That’s why frozen water sinks in liquid water… because it weighs so much more.
And liquid water takes up less space than frozen water … that’s why you can freeze a glass jar full of liquid water with the lid on tight.
Everybody knows that.
Martin says
Hahahahahaha…….dishonesty knows no boundaries ! I live in Canada. This is where Wally is screwing people on metrics (pun intended). I went to Walmart to buy their advertised black forest ham at 99 cents / lbs .
Having been already screwed by Wally , I decided to place a 1 lbs butter package on the scale. That pound should have displayed exactly 454 grams. It showed a whopping 600 grams, meaning that when you buy 454 grams you pay for 600 grams. That jacks up the price to 1.31 / lbs . When I asked that question , I had to wait 20 minutes for the manager to arrive. He also called security, to escort me out of the store, on account of being unruly. Now I have the distinction of being an undesireable customer at their Centennial Parkway location in Stoney Creek , Ontario. Thank you Walmart !
mary gonzalez says
The difference in the stores wights might be that in alot of stores the meat comes pre packed. They are supposed to use a tare which is discounting the packaging. Many stores may not do this. Might want to check.
marie says
even if the stores themselves try to use a tare (which is actually weighing the packaging first then zeroing it out and weighing the food in the packaging) its impossible for them to know how much moisture is going to leach out of the meat and into the absorbent pad. That said, the weight on that package was off in every way, so i would definately take issue with that. weigh in store, just to see if the majority are off, or if its just that brand or whatever, then throw a fit if its the whole store, cause that is fraud, straight up. I like walmart for a few things, i prefer the flavor in some of their store brand offerings and the price of their canned and prepackaged foods, but i wont buy meats from them, cause of what i said in previous comments.
Seann says
You might have more options than you think. This is a good resource I like to use to help people find local, fresh food in your area: http://www.localharvest.org/
Glenda says
I would complain to Walmart and never buy from there again. What a ripoff. But what’s even more concerning now is that the USDA just approved shipping chickens , seafood and beef over to China to be processed and then sent back to the USA to sell in our grocery stores and they don’t have to label it at all. China does not have good food safety. So be careful what and where you buy your proteins.