Lidl items with (sometimes significant) less content than stated

sarahTT

(Perhaps this would be more suited to the Consumer Rights section... if so please move.)

I have over the last few weeks started to check the actual weight of some of the stuff I buy from Lidl. I started to do this when the eggs I usually buy seemed to get smaller and smaller but the weight printed on the pack stayed the same. To stay with the eggs, I have now bought four packs, each of which should've weighted 805gr but they all were between 735gr and 765gr (just the eggs, no packaging; my scale is +-1gr and I checked this with a set of calibrated weights from my workplace... 100gr are indeed 100gr and 500gr are 500gr, so it's not my scale that's off). I understand that product weight is always a thing of averages and that sometimes packs contain more than stated and sometimes less, main thing is that over time you should get what you pay for. However, four items in a row with significant differences begins to look fishy to my untutored eye.

There are other products from Lidl where the same thing has been happening but as I have only done the eggs for a few weeks I am still not sure whether those are just exceptions.

My question now is, what can I do about that? Collect some real evidence and talk to Trading Standards? Call Lidl and complain? Stop buying stuff there (though Lidl's going downhill with lots of empty shelves and some unbelievable price rises esp for cheese, I still buy a lot of stuff there)? Or what else...? Thanks for some ideas!

Penguin_

I understand what you're saying but given it's impossible for eggs to be an exact weight given that they aren't man made to a set of specific size & weight.

YoungBlueEyes

Yes eggs come in lots of sizes, but a combination of those sizes should equal the pack weight. 

I’m afraid I can’t help SarahTT, but I’m cheering you on. 

MalMonroe

There are very strict laws and guidance about food weight and measurement in the UK. And consequences can be serious if businesses don't adhere to the law.

You said "I understand that product weight is always a thing of averages and that sometimes packs contain more than stated and sometimes less" - but that should never be the case nowadays. Food and drink packages should always contain exactly what they say they contain on the pack, including weight. Sometimes food (obviously not eggs) does 'settle' in containers, yes but that should not affect the weight.  

There's also some information in the following links from the UK government -

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/food-information-to-consumers

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/national-regulation-weights-and-measures

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/packaged-goods-weights-and-measures-regulations
(Under - 'how packaged goods are regulated')

If you have any concerns or queries about the way items are packed at or for Lidl, then you should definitely contact Lidl to discuss this with staff there in the first instance. If you are not satisfied with what they say, then take action as per information in the links above.

We're not encouraged on this site to suggest boycotting businesses though - 

(Policy Rules say : We appreciate emotions can run high should you experience poor service from companies, but we cannot accept active calls to boycott organisations as we are unable to verify the service you received.) 

Also, food prices are rising in all shops, it's not just Lidl.

Cornucopia

By coincidence, I opted for the "Very Large" eggs in Aldi today, because the "Large" were a bit on the small side.   I didn't even know that packs of eggs had a specific weight, though.   

theoretica

I believe there are specific requirements for the individual weight of large/medium/etc eggs - these may make requirements for eggs different from the way other foods are labelled by weight.

QrizB

There's a list of egg sizes here, with the range of weights for each size:

https://www.eco-marketplace.co.uk/egg-sizes.html

sarahTT

Thanks for all the answers, appreciated.

MalMonroe said:

There are very strict laws and guidance about food weight and measurement in the UK. And consequences can be serious if businesses don't adhere to the law.

You said "I understand that product weight is always a thing of averages and that sometimes packs contain more than stated and sometimes less" - but that should never be the case nowadays. Food and drink packages should always contain exactly what they say they contain on the pack, including weight. Sometimes food (obviously not eggs) does 'settle' in containers, yes but that should not affect the weight.  

There's also some information in the following links from the UK government -

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/food-information-to-consumers

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/national-regulation-weights-and-measures

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/packaged-goods-weights-and-measures-regulations
(Under - 'how packaged goods are regulated')

If you have any concerns or queries about the way items are packed at or for Lidl, then you should definitely contact Lidl to discuss this with staff there in the first instance. If you are not satisfied with what they say, then take action as per information in the links above.

We're not encouraged on this site to suggest boycotting businesses though - 

(Policy Rules say : We appreciate emotions can run high should you experience poor service from companies, but we cannot accept active calls to boycott organisations as we are unable to verify the service you received.) 

Also, food prices are rising in all shops, it's not just Lidl.

As to the links posted, those pages tell me something about the way things are supposed to work (and they do speak about averages BTW) but not very much about what customers can actually do if they don't.

Also I am not sure where I "suggested boycotting businesses" or made an "active call to boycott organisations". Can you please clarify this matter as I certainly don't want to fall foul of the rules?

And yes, I am aware that food prices are rising across the board (who isn't?). However, some of the prices Lidl charge nowadays have more than doubled within a few months and this has not at all been the case with very similar products I buy at Asda or Sainsbury's. A case in point is their (Lidl's) French Camembert which went from 99p to £2 when cheese prices in France have barely moved (a neighbour's daughter lives in France and is amazed at the prices we have to pay over here these days, and not just for cheese).

I do think that in many cases of rising prices in various supermarkets there's a certain element of profiteering involved.

Penguin_ said:

I understand what you're saying but given it's impossible for eggs to be an exact weight given that they aren't man made to a set of specific size & weight.

Sure, if I were buying just 10 or 15 eggs then I can't complain about their total weight. However, as @YoungBlueEyes has already remarked, in this case they are sold by weight printed on the packaging, ie 805gr, and not by size. If I pay for 805gr I should get 805gr, methinks?! But perhaps not and it's a free for all.

KxMx

I got a measuring jug and funnel set from Lidl some months ago, the measurements marked on them are not at all accurate and I'm back to using reliable scales. 

thriftytracey

I am sure they have reduced the size of the Low GI bread loaf to be found in the bakery section.  It really is delicious bread and I buy two loaves a week - it freezes well.  Keeps a few days too.

Rosa_Damascena

QrizB said:

There's a list of egg sizes here, with the range of weights for each size:

https://www.eco-marketplace.co.uk/egg-sizes.html

This is handy, I always think of a medium egg as being 60g inc shells. I'm not an egg eater but where it resonates is the Hummingbird Bakery standard cake recipe which involves equal weights of all ingredients rather than the usual half the number of eggs to oz of butter.