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
Barb McKinley says
Bravo! Way to go Karrie! Thank you for sharing the in depth work you put in to reveal well….basically a cover up, I will certainly be watching my meat purchases more closely, I enjoy and appreciate all you do!
Frannie Lee says
I buy most of my meat from my local grocer who has a butcher shop in the store. I am very lucky that way. When he runs sales on boneless, skinless chicken breasts it is 1.99 per pound and always packaged in a heavy weight plastic bag w/ out the styrofoam plate and the little absorbent thing that looks like a diaper. When they weigh things up, they automatically subtract the weight of the container before they weigh the meat or produce. I’ve also never had problems w/ meat spoiling or being on the edge of spoiling as I’m buying it. I may buy things like hotdogs and bacon from wally world, but not the other meats. I also don’t buy my produce there anymore cause we always got hit w/ fruit flies . And it didn’t matter if it was fruit or vegetable, they were on them. You want to buy local? Go to your non chain grocers and farmer’s markets.
Ncrdbl1 says
Notice a very disturbing thing in the picture from the WINCO chicken package. Where is the USDA inspection sticker? Looks like a package we used to find in out old neighborhood store of years gone by where the guy packaged his own meat and we had no idea from where it came. Such packaging would not be legal for meat transported to another location. The pads in the bottom of the package is a safety item to help prevent bacteria growth. Do you really want to eat chicken without a pad in the package?
Paula Loughlin says
FYI, From the USDA regulations regarding “Compliance Guidelines for Retained Water”
31. Are absorbent pads used to absorb moisture in packages of product part of the net weight of the product?
Answer: It varies depending upon the jurisdiction, i.e., wet tare jurisdiction versus dry tare jurisdiction to determine net weight. Compliance with net weight regulations is determined by following the wet-tare and dry-tare procedures in National Institute of Standards and Technology Handbook 133, which are incorporated by reference in FSIS regulations 9 CFR 317.19 and 381.121(b).
32. Can retained water in the product be tared out of the net weight so that the retained water statement does not have to be labeled?
Answer: No.
You can always read the full set of guidelines at
http://www.fsis.usda.gov/OPPDE/rdad/FRPubs/97-054F/compliance_guidelines.htm
It is highly illegal for a retailer to fudge weights and measures. If you think a scale is off or the weight on the label is inaccurate you should contact the State agency having authority over weights and measures. Scales in grocery stores are inspected and checked for accuracy. They should bear a label showing the last date of inspection.
Robert Brown says
The problem with this article is it states that the pad and packaging weighs nearly 1 pound. That means it would have to be holding close to 2 cups of water. I don’t think that pad is quite that absorbent. When they say Net WT., they are talking about the weight of the contents not including any packaging.
Mox says
You should scroll back up and have a second look at that photo. The chicken is sitting in an inch of liquid….
Sunnie says
Another thing to be careful of is how much water/sodium that some stores add to their raw meat. I always bought from Zaycon but the last time I bought chicken they had 1/2 gallon of liquid in the bottom of the box. Not only was it messy but it weighed 4 pounds. So like you I paid for water. I have quit ordering from them. Nice investigation.
Vic says
Seriously? You have ONE example and you’re going to blast WalMart (or any store)? You didn’t even tell anyone about it? It never occurred to you that a human made an error… Nope, it’s big, bad WalMart trying to rip you off. Please. I agree that it’s no fun getting ripped off, but why not tell someone at the store instead of us? (Answer: because you can make money doing this, making you no better than any other greedy entity.)
curta says
Amen!!
Sarah-your friendly neighborhood farmer-to-be says
Why don’t you inform yourselves by at the very least reading the others’ comments who checked their own Walmarts and found much the same situation, not to mention the former employees who chose to inform us that this is, indeed, what Walmart offers its customers? Please, read a tiny bit further and you’ll be enlightened, guaranteed. And this is honestly one tiny blight in a massive disaster that is your average grocery store these days, especially the food-“food”-they sell. Walmart is at the top of the game, by the way.
Chris Corliss says
Walmart rips off the entire country, their employees and their customers. Anyone surprised? Not me. Never Never Never give your hard earned money to that family.
Tami says
You should call your Wal mart & call them out…otherwise your allowing them to get away with ripping everyone off!
Amber Wagnor says
And just a little curious on how much you were compensated for you blog, did you get your $2.09 that walmart ripped you off back?
Lister of Smeg says
So you think it’s ok for them to rip people off just because it’s a corporation. It’s cheap so that families can eat there? Give me a break. If they cared about families, they would hire full time employees. If they cared about families, they would pay a living wage.
Do you realize that whenever they rip people off, they are taking money out of the pockets of families? Being ripped off $2.09 once a week on grocery day is over $100 a year. Still sound insignificant?
BTW if Walmart really had the lowest prices, they wouldn’t HAVE to offer a price match. I have three other grocers around here who also price match, AND they double coupons, AND they’re often cheaper than Walmart. And I’d much rather give them my money, because they seem to be a lot more ethical than Walmart.
The real question is, how much were YOU compensated for that comment taking up for Walmart?
Amber Wagnor says
Yes Kerry that’s correct 15% broth in the chicken, which is what it said on the package correct, and everyone that thinks buying the frozen chicken will not do the same thing when it thaws is going to be be disappointed. Funny how everyone jumps to scrutinize Walmart, but not when they realize they have the lowest prices, and if they do not they will match, um not sure anyone else can do that. You could be grateful they have lower prices so that the mass portion of the world can afford to eat.
Monica says
you are right- you should only pay for what you really got! On the other side- Regardless where you purchase your meats ( poultry as well) -they all come from Mass production Farms where animals are held pourly and are pumped with medication like Antibiotics to keep the chance of infections down. And then we humans eat it…and wonder why we experience health problems. Maybe you want to give a local farmer near your area the next time for eggs, poultry, vegetables…here in Germany we like to do that when we find out how animals are kept. Its our responsibility to be respectful to animals and to us- the world
Monica says
Maybe you want to give a local farmer near your area A CHANCE…
Rainey says
Great story, I would have never even thought about checking it out. Great info, from now on I will look more closely at the meats I buy.
Rachelle Benson says
I didn’t read everyone’s post… but Karrie… this is just one more reason I am presently looking at 45 Freedom Ranger meat birds in my chicken pen, due to meet their ‘freezer home’ in about three weeks. In the spring I will start raising 50 more. ( yes we lost five… it happens). I know what is in their ORGANIC feed… they are processed humanely ( This year I am hiring a plucker) and we have yummy meat all year round. I NEVER buy meat at Walmart… I hope one day your country life unfolds for you… and you can have your own fresh meat the way we do… Next week our steers will be coming home to their ‘freezer home’. Again… grass fed… no gmo corn fed beef for my family. Our back up in between ‘seasons’ is Costco’s ORGANIC whole chickens and ORGANIC ground beef. You don’t really want to know whats in that meat not labeled ORGANIC. I say organic so that people really look at their food source. If you ever get a chance to watch FOOD Inc… its worth the information of our countries food sources. I wavered this year in raising up meats.. I am disabled and tired… but “You are what you EAT”… I just encourage you to really research organic meats… and avoid the growth hormones and other ick in mainstream grocery stores… ( not trying to be preachy ) That picture of walmart chicken just turned my stomach. You can always look on craigs list for farmers close to you that raise up more steers than they will eat like we do and sell them as halves, quarters… or the whole thing! Same with chickens…. pork… turkeys… we have muscovey duck….variety is the spice of life right? Anyway Karrie… just promise to never eat Walmart chicken ever again!! lol
garret games says
This problem will only get worse as the government cuts back on inspectors. The quality control in the plants and the weights and measures controls at stores and gas pumps is becoming a thing of the past.
Niki says
I checked my package and weighed. Bought from my local Wal-Mart a few days ago by price matching with Yoke’s price. With the packaging weighed in it was heavier than the stated weight – this was a good sign thus far. When I weighed just the chicken itself I was shorted .2 lb is all. I’m assuming that’s just some water/juice that was on the chicken and then settled into the absorber pad.
Karrie says
Cool! Let’s hope this isn’t happening at every store.
Lurking in the Corner says
This type of thing needs to be reported to your county department of weights and measures. It is illegal and they will be fined.
Zadidoll says
This is why I’ll stick with Albertsons and stock up during their 99 cent/lb sale. You get it weighed right in front of you and you’re not being ripped off. Walmart is infamous for ripping people off not just on the chicken but on beef and pork as well.
Teri says
Also I don’t know if you noticed the tag on your chicken. The corner was folded under as though it might have been removed. There is a chance that a customer had swapped labels. I still would call 1-800-Walmart and complain.
Laura Chin says
I don’t shop at WalMart anymore for a lot of the reasons posted above. I bought chicken from a local farmer and after tasting it, I knew I could never go back to the big bags of frozen chicken I had relied on. The taste difference is worth the price difference! If you get a chance, go to a farmers market, or food co-op (where everyone is always welcome, not just owners!), try localharvest.org even. The taste is phenomenal!
Lisa says
I agree! Shop local. You won’t be disappointed in the customer service and quality.
DOUG says
Shop local butchers if you can. You get quality from people in your community. They may charge a little more but your buying fresh merchandise that is measured /weighed before wrapped. If no butcher shops in your area find a local store with a meat cutter. Don’t believe its just Walmart, anyone selling prepackaged meat could have this issue.