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Shashlik buyer surprised at checkout; company calls weight difference an 'exception'
🇪🇪 Estonia /Crime & Justice

Shashlik buyer surprised at checkout; company calls weight difference an 'exception'

From Postimees · () Estonian

Translated from Estonian, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Sources not specified Context piece
  • A customer at a supermarket in Estonia was surprised when a self-checkout scale indicated their shashlik weighed 730 grams, significantly more than the 600 grams indicated on the label.
  • The company acknowledged the discrepancy as a rare exception caused by human error, stating it does not affect their operations.
  • This incident follows similar past cases where product weights did not match labels, highlighting ongoing issues with weighing accuracy in retail.

A customer in Estonia experienced an unexpected surprise at a self-checkout counter when the scale indicated their purchase of shashlik weighed 730 grams, rather than the 600 grams stated on the product label. The customer described the situation humorously, noting the cashier's sigh and remarking that it was unclear how many packages had this discrepancy that day.

The cashier pressed the buttons and a message appeared stating that instead of 600 grams, it weighed 730 grams.

— CustomerDescribing the unexpected weight difference at the self-checkout.

Rannarootsi, the company responsible for the shashlik, acknowledged the weight difference as a rare exception stemming from human error. A spokesperson for the company stated that while such discrepancies are uncommon and do not impact their overall operations, they are using the information to improve their attention to food safety and quality. The company also mentioned that they continuously check their equipment and processes.

Such a weight difference is a rare exception and happened due to human error.

— Madis Sein, Marketing and Product Manager at RannarootsiAcknowledging the discrepancy and its cause.

This is not the first time such weight discrepancies have been reported in Estonia. In January of the same year, a customer at a Rimi supermarket in Tallinn encountered a similar issue with a spice mix. The self-checkout scale registered a different weight than what was printed on the package. In such cases, consumers are advised to inform the seller immediately, who can then remove the non-compliant product from sale and report it to the relevant authorities.

We continuously check our equipment and processes, but such information helps us pay better attention to food safety and quality.

— RannarootsiExplaining their response to the incident.

Last summer, another incident involved a Rimi store selling pre-packaged meat products that were significantly lighter than indicated on their labels. The company at the time admitted to a manufacturing error. These recurring issues underscore the importance of accurate weighing and labeling in retail to ensure consumer trust and product integrity.

I recommend in such situations to first inform the seller, who can react quickly and remove the non-compliant product from sale.

— Priit Poschlin, Advisor at the TTJA's technical departmentAdvising consumers on how to handle weight discrepancies.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Postimees in Estonian. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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