OCEAN COUNTY – A consent agreement was reached with Stop & Shop supermarkets after county officials said there was a widespread pattern of product mislabeling and improper handling of beef and poultry products across multiple store locations.
The news came from the Ocean County Department of Consumer Affairs in cooperation with the Ocean County Health Department. They investigated complaints regarding the sale of spoiled meat and poultry at the Toms River Stop & Shop.
Officials said that Consumer Protection Investigators found mislabeled product dates and spoiled products waiting to be placed on display. They went to all five Ocean County Stop & Shop locations, and found systemic mislabeling practices.
“Products were marked with dates indicating when they were put out for display rather than when they were actually packaged, creating the appearance of freshness well beyond the actual delivery dates,” officials said. “In some cases, beef and poultry products were stamped with extended expiration ranges that exceeded the recommendations of wholesalers.”
The investigators also learned that Stop & Shop had moved away from in-store butchers and was relying heavily on pre-packaged products prepared by off-site wholesalers. In one instance, a wholesale box delivered in February was not opened until March, yet was labeled as if it had been freshly packaged that day.
Stop & Shop corporate counsel and senior management cooperated with the investigation, officials said. They originally said it was a “mislabeling issue.” Ocean County Counsel Laura Comer, Director of Consumer Affairs Ronald Heinzman, and Stop & Shop corporate representatives ultimately negotiated a Consent Agreement requiring immediate corrective action to protect consumers.
“I commend the Ocean County Department of Consumer Affairs for their steadfast commitment and professionalism in protecting the interests of our residents,” said Ocean County Commissioner Robert S. Arace, liaison to the Department. “This was a matter of considerable importance, and we deeply appreciate their prompt and decisive actions in ensuring it was thoroughly addressed.”
As part of the agreement, Stop & Shop consented to pay $75,000 in fines and penalties. They will implement stricter safeguards to ensure accurate product labeling and compliance across all of its 46 New Jersey locations. The New Jersey Attorney General’s Office and the Division of Consumer Affairs were also briefed and engaged to ensure statewide accountability.
“This was a serious breach of consumer trust and confidence,” said Director Heinzman. “Consumer Affairs took a strong position that this was an immediate public safety, health, and welfare issue.”
