LOS ANGELES—The Los Angeles attorney’s office has filed dozens of criminal counts against Ralphs grocery and its parent company, Kroger for allegedly overcharging on prepackaged and weighed food such as salads, fish, fried chicken and bulk coffee, according to the Los Angeles Times. The attorney’s office also charged them with false advertising and false labeling.
The article reports stores were allegedly charging customers for the weight of the package, and ice on frozen food in addition to the weight of the food. In an investigation, the Los Angeles County Department of Weights and Measures also found prepackaged items in the store were below their label weights.
The supermarket chain faces fines and penalties of up to $256,000, reported the article.
According to the article, the chain was fined for similar violations in 2008 and 2009 as well, which led to $6,500 in fines in 2008 and $10,400 in fines last year.