Tuna companies to pay $3.3 million to settle skimping claims

[Eugene]

Source: Reuters

Tuna companies to pay 3.3 million to settle skimping claims

By Marty Graham
SAN DIEGO | Fri Aug 3, 2012 8:39pm EDT

(Reuters) - Three of the largest U.S. sellers of canned tuna have agreed to pay $3.3 million collectively to settle civil claims brought by three California counties over complaints the companies put less fish in their cans than represented on their labels.

StarKist, Chicken of the Sea and Bumble Bee brands of canned tuna contained more liquid and less tuna than stated on their cans, according to a lawsuit and settlement both filed Thursday by district attorneys for Marin, Riverside and San Diego counties.

The companies cooperated fully in an investigation stemming from the complaint and in reaching the settlement, the prosecutors said. The inquiry into complaints of tuna under-filling began in 2010, San Diego County Deputy District Attorney Gina Darvas said.

"The California Department of Food and Agriculture has a division of measurement standards, and they look at short weights, among other things," Darvas said. "Someone had an anecdotal feeling there was less tuna in cans, and they looked into it."

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Read more: http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/08/04/us-usa-tunafish-california-idUSBRE87300U20120804

[DCKit]

1. Shrinkage and settling, obviously.

And if it were sold by Grace Brother's, it'd have ridden up with wear.

[NYC_SKP]

2. Cans used to be jam packed with the fish, now it's mostly fluid.

Well, not mostly, but considerably more than there used to be.

[harun]

3. My cat likes the extra tuna flavored water

[Curtland1015]

5. Ours too. We usually pour the tuna water into a little dish for them.

Nice little treat, no extra charge.

[doohnibor]

4. This is why I shop at Big Lots

I'm not going to be a sucker for the newest thing they stock on the shelf. I'll wait until there's some little oopsie and they have to cut their losses and move the merch through some liquidator channel. You want to cheat me on the front end? I'm patient enough to wait until you have to have a fire sale.