TOMS RIVER, NJ – Stop & Shop supermarkets have agreed to pay $75,000 in fines and penalties after an Ocean County investigation uncovered widespread mislabeling and mishandling of meat and poultry products. County officials say the violations posed a direct risk to public health and consumer safety.
The probe began after customers reported spoiled products at the Toms River Stop & Shop. When investigators arrived, they found meat and poultry with false labels and spoiled goods waiting to be stocked on shelves.
What started as a single-store complaint soon widened into a countywide investigation of all five Stop & Shop locations in Ocean County. Inspectors discovered systemic mislabeling practices, including expiration dates that exceeded wholesaler guidelines and labels showing when products were placed on display rather than when they were packaged.
In one case, officials cited a shipment delivered in February that sat unopened for weeks, only to be relabeled in March as if it had been freshly packaged. Investigators concluded that Stop & Shop’s reliance on pre-packaged products from off-site wholesalers fueled the problem.
Although Stop & Shop’s corporate counsel and senior management cooperated with county officials, they initially downplayed the issue as a mere mislabeling error. After negotiations with County Counsel Laura Comer and Consumer Affairs Director Ronald Heinzman, the chain signed a Consent Agreement requiring corrective measures across all 46 of its New Jersey locations.
“This was a serious breach of consumer trust and confidence,” Heinzman said, emphasizing the matter was treated as a threat to public health and safety.
The case was led by Consumer Protection Investigators Andrew Chencharik and Anthony Fontana, with legal oversight by County Counsel Comer.