Singapore – NTUC FairPrice has announced it would check weighing scales on a daily basis after two videos highlighting inaccurate labels went viral on social media.
NTUC FairPrice came under fire on Feb 5 after a 23-year-old Ukrainian model currently residing in Singapore, Nina Monzolevska, uploaded a TikTok video of a mislabelled chicken breast purchased from a FairPrice outlet.
The FairPrice Xtra label on the chicken breast package showed a weight of 0.224 kg, costing S$2.42. However, the woman weighed the package again at home and discovered that it only weighed 0.165 kg.
The supermarket chain responded to the incident through a Facebook post noting that “ensuring product integrity, which includes accurate labelling is of paramount importance to (them).”
The company added that it had contacted Ms Monzolevska regarding the incident.
“We agree that such an error should not have occurred. Our staff at the frontline are working hard, and we ask for patience and understanding during this challenging time. All our weighing scales are also independently calibrated by authorised vendors certified by the authorities,” said NTUC FairPrice in a separate Facebook post.
Two days later, another video of a mislabelled package of salmon was uploaded on TikTok by user @ben20220207.
The FairPrice Xtra label on the package shows a weight of 0.296 kg, costing S$9.15. However, the TikToker claims that when the package was reweighed, it was actually 0.176kg. This would mean that the fish was overpriced by some 68 per cent.
According to a Straits Times report on Sunday (Feb 13), all NTUC FairPrice outlets would now conduct daily checks of their weighing scales before store opening.
Fresh merchandise with existing labels may also have their weight rechecked to ensure accuracy, said NTUC FairPrice.
Reports noted that the Weights and Measures Office is currently involved with NTUC to investigate the reason for the mislabelling cases.
“Did you know NTUC has a weighing scale on its checkout machines?” said TikToker @wabikaeru in a video uploaded on Feb 10.
“If they’re so confident of their labelling, they should be transparent and show us the weight of the goods,” the netizen added while recording a checkout process./TISG
Read related: Netizen says NTUC ‘FairPrice should change name to UnFairPrice’ after another video surfaces showing 176g salmon labelled 296g