MADISON – Kraft Foods Group, Inc. of Northfield, Illinois, which owns Oscar Mayer, will pay a civil forfeiture of $13,911.50 and take systemwide corrective actions following alleged violations of short-weight packages found in Wisconsin stores.  This marks the company’s third civil forfeiture of the state’s weights and measures statutes in the past two years.

A weights and measures inspection by the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection found nine instances of false representation of quantity in Oscar Mayer products sold at several stores throughout the state.  The Consumer Protection Bureau conducted the inspections in June and July of 2012.

The short-weight products included eight packages of Oscar Mayer-brand cooked ham and one package of Oscar Mayer-brand honey ham.  Short-weight packages were found in Beloit, Dodgeville, Plover, Racine, Watertown, Waukesha and Wisconsin Rapids.

Because this is Kraft’s third civil forfeiture for short-weight violations, the company will take corrective actions systemwide and additional actions in its Davenport, Iowa plant.  These actions include:

• Systemwide steps:

o   Within the next five years, Oscar Mayer will install checkweighers (scales integrated in the assembly line that measure each package) on all production lines at an estimated $10 million cost to the company.

o   Oscar Mayer will assess the capability of all existing checkweighers by conducting a measurement system analysis.

o   Oscar Mayer will revise the end‐of‐shift net weight document review process to include a review to confirm that plant personnel followed net weight compliance procedures during the production run.

o   Oscar Mayer will provide training for all quality teams and regular follow‐up activities for quality managers.

• Davenport plant:

o   Oscar Mayer will conduct net weight verification checks every 15 minutes on production line 4 for six months following the date on which those checks began (August 27, 2012).

o   Oscar Mayer will make changes to the layout of production line 4 to improve the transition points between conveyor belts with the goal of enhancing checkweigher performance.

o   Oscar Mayer will conduct a failure modes and effects analysis of production line 4.

As part of the civil forfeiture agreement, Kraft did not admit to violating any Wisconsin laws.

For more weights and measures information or to file a consumer complaint, contact the Bureau of Consumer Protection on the web at http://datcp.wisconsin.gov; via e-mail at datcphotline@wi.gov; or call toll-free at 1-800-422-7128.

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