TikTok Series Claims Walmart is Mislabeling and Overcharging for Meat
Walmart has come under scrutiny after a customer alleged that the retail giant was mislabeling and overcharging some of its meats. Read on for the details of these allegations, as well as how the mega-retailer responded.
Viral TikToks Claim Walmart is Overcharging for Some Meat Products
A Georgia man has created a series of TikToks showing that the mislabeling of meat products at Walmart has resulted in shoppers being charged more than double what they should have been. Jimmy Wrigg uploaded his first video to TikTok on January 17, alleging that a package of chicken breasts that weighed 2.37 pounds on the store's scale was labeled as 4.66 pounds. This mislabeling resulted in a price increase of $9.44.
Wrigg said that he immediately felt that something was off when he picked up the package of chicken. The Uber and DoorDash driver described himself as being "very frugal," watching "every penny." Once he suspected something was amiss, he visited two Walmart locations in Buford, Georgia, to do further research.
In a video that has 9.8 million views as of February 5, Wrigg weighed seven different Kentucky Legend brand hams to check for discrepancies with the labeling. Wrigg used a 2-pound dumbbell from the store's sporting goods department to use as proof that the food scale was properly calibrated.
Wrigg's research indicated that most of the store's hams were also mislabeled. For example, one label stated that the ham cost $24.55 with its weight of 4.93 pounds. However, the ham actually weighed in at just 1.83 pounds, resulting in a price of $15.44 more than it should have cost.
Walmart and Kentucky Legend Respond to Allegations
Kentucky Legend responded to the TikToks through a post on its website. The company admitted that there was an error at a store, but said it was not at the location that Wrigg had visited. Instead, the statement confirmed weight discrepancies at a Walmart in Commerce, Georgia.
The food manufacturer said that its internal investigation found an error that was "isolated to a 5-minute window on a single production date." Kentucky Legend said that it takes full responsibility for the problem, assuring customers that it has reinforced its processes to prevent the mistake from happening again. The company did not detail how many hams were impacted; however, it has provided customers with an avenue to fix the problem
When asked by USA TODAY about the issue, a Walmart spokesperson simply directed the reporter back to Kentucky Legend's website statement. Walmart also said that any impacted products have already been removed from store shelves. In addition, customers are invited to return to the store for a refund on products that were overcharged.
The Walmart representative did not respond to questions about the mislabeled chicken. Nor did it respond to allegations about the incorrectly weighed prime rib products that Wrigg also noted in his TikTok videos.
This is not the first time that Walmart has been in trouble over grocery weights. The retailer agreed to settle a class-action lawsuit to the tune of $45 million in 2024. This litigation revolved around the per-unit prices of citrus fruits, alleging that the tags on the shelf indicated that the weight was higher. The plaintiff also claimed that many other weighted goods, including meats, had lower shelf prices.
No industry standard dictates how meat products are weighed and labeled. Who weighs and labels the meat depends on the specific relationship between the manufacturer and the retailer. For instance, most pre-packaged branded meats are sent to the retailer already weighed and labeled. Some stores then add their own shelf tags or price stickers for continuity.
This means that since manufacturers often provide products to several retailers, it is not unusual for a mislabeled food item to show up in many different grocery stores. The smallest software error can result in a mislabeled item that is sent to several stores before it is noticed, particularly for meats processed in plants that deal with high volumes of products.
While all of this may sound nefarious, most issues are simply mistakes that are the result of technical glitches, equipment malfunctions, or basic human error. That said, some of the discrepancies that Wrigg found go well beyond what is typically considered to be inconsequential.
Wrigg said that he was pleased that Kentucky Legend took responsibility for the error on their end. However, he told USA TODAY that he was disappointed that Walmart did not own up to the bigger problem that goes beyond the specific issues with Kentucky Legend.
Over 20 million users have seen the nine TikTok videos as of February 5. Wrigg said that many of his social media followers are also reporting similar discrepancies in the labels at various Walmart locations all over the country.
This report should serve as a warning to consumers to pay attention to these labels and to ensure that they are being charged correctly.
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