Buying chocolate for Valentine's Day? Make sure you don't get duped
BOSTON - Time is running out for you to get a Valentine's Day gift! If you decide to go for the traditional box of chocolates for that special someone, make sure you're looking at more than just the size of the box.
"You've gotta be careful what you're actually getting," said Edgar Dworsky, Founder of Consumer World.
Dworsky showed us two different boxes of candy to explain further.
One of the boxes is a Whitman's Sampler, which is about 10 inches tall and just over 9 inches wide. It has 11 pieces of candy inside of the box.
The second box, of Russell Stover Chocolates, is visibly larger in size, but actually contains less candy than the smaller box.
The culprit here is the packaging.
"Take out this kind of separator tray and you put the pieces in the box...and that's what you're left with. Only about a third of the box actually full," Dworsky said.
Under a federal law known as "slack fill", it is actually illegal to us a package larger than necessary. It's an issue Dworsky said you can take up with the FDA, if you feel like you've been duped!
"Imagine if you were the recipient of this as a gift for Valentine's Day - there will be no loving for you!" Dworsky said.
If all else fails, especially if you're in a pinch at the last minute, Dworsky said there is one foolproof gift for Valentine's Day: "Well, if you buy a dozen roses, I guarantee you, there's still 12 in the bunch!"
When it comes to candy, Dworsky said it's all about the fine print. Make sure you check the net weight (which you can usually find on the front of the box) or check the label on the back of the product for additional information.
