Posted on 08/06/2026 10:08:03 AM PDT by econjack
Prepackage meat products are often under the weight marked on the package. Not only is the weight short, they put a thick absorbent pad under the product. That wad of material can weigh over a half pound by itself.
Yes,this is true. I just watched the video and the weight on the label is almost double the true weight. It all gets down to who ever is working the scale. This is a fast operation when dealing with many packs from the Kentucky Legend packing house. It could be they are putting two packs at a time on the scale.
In another video he checks just Kentucky Legend hams and the first 4 he picks to test are all off by at least 2x. That’s not a quality control problem. That’s fraud.
I live in Bentonville. I shop at the same Walmarts the executives do, and within 30 minutes of my house there are about 25 Walmarts.
Since seeing the scale mis-read, I started doing the test. EVERY SINGLE STORE lies about their weights.
This is real. Also, dynamic pricing is real. They say it’s only a handful of stores but it’s way, way more than that about 90% of the price tags globally are sorted depending on who is in the aisle.
Cheaters: I ain’t scared of being tared.
Definition: Tare weight is the weight of an empty container or packaging, subtracted from the total weight to determine the net weight of the food inside.
Remember when all deputies in the state including Andy Griffith’s deputy Barney Fife had to be of a minimum weight, so Andy put Barney’s ID on a heavy metal chain that put him over the line at the weigh-in?
In the 1800s butchers used to put their thumb on the scale out of sight and make a little more money.
Ongoing slang definition: Thumb on the scale is an idiom meaning to unfairly influence or manipulate a situation in one’s favor through deception or bias, often in a subtle or underhanded way.
In social media the BS flows freely. Look at how many youtube sites use the same folksy "grandpa" narrator voice and are labeled AI in small letters under the title. I would not consider them to be any more of a credible source than I would Wikipedia.
.
ALL GROCERY CHAINS USE THOSE PADS TO GATHER UP LIQUIDS.
OTHERWISE, BUYERS WOULD BELIEVE THAT THE MEAT IS SPOILED.
“I’ve noticed a fair amount of water boiling off when I cook hamburger from any store“
You’re not alone for quite a while now I’ve noticed most meat or fish boil in a lot of water no matter what you do.
I will never buy meat of any type at wally world.
For one thing, how is it legal to add WATER to ground meat products? Isn’t that FRAUD?
It’s been years but based upon the wife’s recent purchases and observing how much water is in the pan after cooking for 15 minutes, nothing at all has changed.
Right, but they are supposed to hit Tare (and then a number).
When I was in high school & college I was a manager in a grocery store. I had to do meat market training (and deli training). They always put a tray or paper or something under the product and then hit “tare” then the proper adjustment for that item.
It’s not a conspiracy at all...it’s the law actually.
Nay, not true.
Years ago, carcasses were hung and aged, which tenderized the meat.
Not anymore. Now the carcasses are injected with sugar water.
The tray and the pad should be put on the scale and then tared to zero. Then add the meat until the weight matches the label claim. Including the weight of the tray and the pad in the total weight is cheating the customer. It’s not by much, but it adds up.
It’s Wal-Mart! What were you expecting? It’s like staying at a Motel 6 and complaining about the mattress quality.
Maybe you should watch a few videos of the guy actually weighing these packages in the store. Might surprise you, some of it they can blame on the supplier of prepackaged meats others not so much.
Ever notice, especially on ham they list "Water added" as a content?
What a stupid article.
8 ounce “pad”?
BULL.
Over a pound? 16 ounces? You are saying a pound of hamburger is priced at 2 pounds?
On crack?
I buy 3 pounds of ground beef at Kroger and split it up a into 8 and 10 ounce batches.
I buy 48 ounces and I weigh it at home when I split it up it’s 48 ounces (3 8 Oz and 2 12 Oz).
Every time.
At the deli they tare the deli paper of the cold cuts. I buy a pound, I get a pound.
These people are crazy.
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