Inspection by the Institute of Weights and Measures of the State of São Paulo (Ipem-SP) fined 51 manufacturers for irregularities in previously measured products, which are packaged without the presence of the consumer.
The Basic Basket Operation, which investigates the weight of subsistence food, was carried out in laboratories of the municipality in the capital of São Paulo and in the cities of Bauru, Campinas, São Carlos and Ribeirão Preto, in the interior of the state.
Ipem analyzed 64 products, which indicates that 80% of the sample had problems. In an operation carried out last year, the institute checked 30 foods and found irregularities in 14, which represents 47% of the sample.
The fined companies have ten days to present their defense to Ipem, an autarchy linked to the São Paulo Secretariat of Justice and Citizenship, São Paulo government and a delegated body of the National Institute of Metrology, Quality and Technology (Inmetro).
The fines imposed can reach R$ 1.5 million.
One of the institute’s roles is to protect consumers so that they take home the exact amount of product they paid for.
O Practical Consumption Guide from Ipem-SP brings tips on what consumers should observe when buying packaged products, textiles and household appliances, in addition to providing guidance on items that must bear the Inmetro seal and on the use of scales available in supermarkets, bakeries and butchers, between others.
