>
Giant N.J. Food Chains Caught On Camera With Violations; Garden State A.G. Poised To Lower The Boom
Reporting
Kirstin Cole
RIDGEWOOD, N.J. (CBS) ― A typical basket of 100 grocery items costs nearly 6 percent more than it did in January.
Paying such a premium you’d expect to get the very best, but routinely stores are cited for selling expired goods.
In a hidden camera report, CBS 2 HD investigated who’s minding the stores where you go to shop.
Parents are trying to buy only the best for their baby, trusting it’s fresh and safe.
CBS 2 HD found anything but lining the shelves of this Ridgewood, N.J. King’s supermarket last week as we pulled jar after jar of expired Gerber’s baby food for purchase. One applesauce was 15 months past is expiration date. We notified the store and checked at another King’s store in Midland Park, only to find managers directing a hasty operation to yank more expired baby food.
CBS 2 HD: “You’re pulling a lot?” (store manager)
Store manager: “All that.”
But Kings is not the only culprit. New Jersey Attorney General Anne Milgram is coming down hard on retailers she says are ripping off customers — with three lawsuits filed. Target, Wal-Mart and Drug Fair are each accused of being a repeat offender, selling expired products or overcharging at the register.
“There’s no question that they know what the law is in the state and that they promised to uphold the law,” said a spokesperson with the state Department of Consumer Affairs.
But Milgram charges they broke the law thousands of times by selling everything from expired baby formula to medicine and overcharging for other items.
CBS 2 HD: “We also did an investigation of our own. We found expired baby food at some New Jersey supermarkets. How would you categorize that?”
A.G. Milgram: “I think it’s unconscionable.”
While not the focus of this investigation, supermarkets are also inspected by the Department of Consumer Affairs. In 2007, Kings Supermarkets, which has 26 New Jersey locations, received a total of 275 violations.
“It’s just unacceptable to our company,” Kings spokesperson Cheryl Good said.
Good said they are now working hard to uphold the law.
“This is certainly a wake-up call and we’re going to take a look at these procedures,” Good said.
Each of the three chains is facing hundreds of thousands of dollars in fines, but that may be a drop in the bucket for these billion dollar corporations. If you find a price discrepancy or buy an expired product, file a complaint to have it investigated.
(© MMVIII, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)