Kraft Foods Group has paid a $36,908.50 civil forfeiture after state inspectors found 24 packages of Oscar Mayer meats that were below their stated weight.
Short-weight packages of Oscar Mayer light beef franks, Oscar Mayer roast beef and Oscar Mayer roasted turkey breast were found in Wisconsin stores between August 2011 and February 2012.
The underweight hot dogs were, on average, 8 percent short and the underweight roast beef, on average, 13 percent short, said Judy Cardin, chief of weights and measures for the Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection. She called the shortages "very significant .... These kinds of shortages should never be leaving the plant."
Cardin said none was packaged at the Madison factory of Oscar Mayer, which is based in Madison.
Kraft spokeswoman Syd Lindner said some oven heat changes and other manufacturing changes "resulted in unplanned and unwanted variances." She said corrections have been made.
People are also reading…
Last July, the state fined Kraft $16,000 for short-weight packages of the light beef franks and of Kraft Deli Deluxe single-slice cheese.