Stores fail to display correct weight
I have very accurate digital scales and I find stores often do not display the correct net weight of food because, for example, the weight of the trays used for meat is included. Often the real price per gram of the food is more than shown. Who can I complain to? M.P.
The Institut National de la Consommation, which carried out a study on this issue last year, said that it is indeed common for products to weigh less than the amount marked on the label – although the difference is usually ‘modest’.
For example, it found this to be prevalent with packets of flour but, on the other hand, it found sugar bags sometimes weighed more than shown. It states that legally only a small margin of error is allowed, equivalent to 15g for an item weighing one kilogram.
As you have found, the body says this is sometimes due to packaging being included in the weight, whereas it should be the actual net weight of the food that is shown. Including the packaging deliberately could amount to a deception under article L441-1 of the Code de la Consommation which bans deceiving or trying to deceive a shopper with regard to the quantity sold.
As for whom you may complain to, the relevant body would be the official consumer protection body for your department, which will be called a DDPP or DDCSPP. You can find contact details here
