Gram theft rorts in great grocery rip-offs

IT is the great grocery rip-off that is costing Australian families millions.

In a special investigation, News Corp weighed the contents of a typical family’s weekIRON ly supermarket shop and found a staggering 26 per cent were under the advertised weight.

A brand new pair of digital kitchen scales were used to weigh fresh vegetables, frozen berries, meat, dairy, dry goods and cleaning products.

Thirty products across 25 brands were measured with the worst – a 500ml Fountain tomato sauce – coming in 10 per cent less than stated.

A box of 20 Smiths Crinkle cut chips of various flavours was advertised as weighing 380 grams but once all of the packaging was removed the chips weighed only 369 grams.

Tassal roasted salmon purported to weigh 95 grams but once it was out of the tin weighed only 88 grams.

A can of Coles Yellowfin Tuna Chunks was three grams under and a can of Sirena Tuna with Basil infused oil was two grams under.

A jar of Val Verde passata only had 683 of the advertised 700 grams and Tamar Valley Mango yoghurt was seven grams short of the 163 promised.

A spokesman for the National Measurement Institute said concerned consumers should contact the National Trade Measurement hotline by phone or email.