New York, NY—The NY Department of Consumer Affairs (DCA) has made a deal with Whole Foods Market requiring it to pay $500,000 for allegedly overcharging shoppers.

In June 2015, the DCA announced it tested 80 different types of pre-packaged products, including meat, dairy and baked goods, and found that many had mislabeled weights, resulting in overcharging at the register.

In addition to paying $500,000, the grocery giant must "conduct quarterly in-store audits of at least 50 products from 10 different departments at all New York City stores to help ensure products are accurately weighed and labeled, and to correct all inaccuracies."

The DCA says if its testing finds mislabeled products again, the store must remove the items from shelves and test 20 other similar products for labeling accuracy. In addition, Whole Foods must conduct employee training for weighing and labeling products as well as stop estimating the weight of packages.

“After discovering the troubling and repeated mislabeling of pre-packaged goods at Whole Foods last year, we are happy to have reached an agreement with Whole Foods that will help to ensure New Yorkers are better protected from overcharging,” said DCA Commissioner Julie Menin.

Published in WholeFoods Magazine, February 2016