Loblaw, Walmart, Sobeys accused of underweighting meat products in lawsuit [Video]

A proposed class-action lawsuit launched in British Columbia alleges Loblaw, Walmart Canada and Sobeys “misrepresented” the weight of meat products by including the weight of packaging in calculating prices.

Lead plaintiff Carrie Corrall says in a Federal Court lawsuit filed in Vancouver on Jan. 9 that she’s a B.C. mother that regularly spends “hundreds or thousands of dollars” each year on meat products.

The lawsuit alleges grocers are using “deceptive means” that violate federal and provincial regulations by including packaging weight in the price of raw and cooked meat products that are sold by weight.

The statement of claim alleges the practices mean Canadians have been “regularly overpaying for meat products” at the defendants’ grocery stores.

A judge still needs to certify the class proceeding, which is seeking punitive damages due to the alleged deception coming at a time of high inflation and when grocers have publicly committed to keeping prices low while “discretely overcharging” consumers.