It's easy to understand why ready-made meals appeal to so many.

We all love a time-saver, and having something quick and delicious to whip up when we can't (or don’t want to) cook is a blessing.

​

So for those times when you'd like something semi-home-cooked but don't feel like cooking a meal from scratch, ready-meals are usually the way to go.

The only catch is when you don't prepare a meal yourself, there's certainly the risk that it won't be as fresh as what you'd expect—or worse, it won't contain what you actually paid for.

One ALDI customer took an unusual course of action to determine the actual weight of one of their ready-made meals. Credit: Facebook

Recently, an ALDI customer went even further than just complaining about their World Kitchen Butter Chicken.

Despite the meal being a favourite of his, he was always disappointed with the amount of chicken. With the regular price dropping from $9.99 to the currently discounted $8.99, the customer wanted to get to the bottom of the issue.

‘This time I decided to find out how bad the situation is. I used a slotted spoon to fish out all the chicken and weigh it.’

To their surprise, out of an 800g packet, only 201g was chicken, leaving the remaining 599g as 'sauce' and filler.

The customer said, 'They should either add more chicken or take it out and sell it as just a sauce, but at $4-$5, not closer to $9.'

The consumer was also outraged because the name of the product was 'Butter Chicken', yet there was little chicken in comparison to the other ingredients.

The customer was disappointed to find out that there were discrepancies in the ready-made meal he had purchased from ALDI. Credit: Shutterstock

According to the NSW Government Food Authority, food labels must contain accurate weight and measures of ingredients inside the product.

The NSW Government Food Authority also states that ingredients on a label should be listed from greatest to smallest based on their weight when added to the food.

The most common allergens must also be displayed on the label, no matter the amount.

With chicken listed in the name of the ALDI product, this should be the main ingredient and heaviest weighing ingredient in the ready meal.

Of course, if a customer is unhappy with their purchase, ALDI allows customers to return a product or receive a refund.

The budget retailer’s website says refunds can be processed through their Customer Service Department via an online feedback form.

Key Takeaways

• An ALDI customer decided to weigh the amount of chicken in the World Kitchen Butter Chicken ready meal after constant disappointments.
• The customer found that the chicken only accounted for a quarter of the total weight of the ready meal.
• The customer shared his findings online, stating that the price was too high considering the amount of chicken included.
• According to the NSW Government Food Authority, the ingredients on a food label must be listed in order of weight, meaning the chicken should be the heaviest ingredient in the product.
• Customers can return any ALDI products they're not satisfied with for a replacement or refund.

What do you think of this ALDI shopper’s reaction to their ready-made meal?

If you’re an ALDI shopper, have you noticed similar product discrepancies? Let us know in the comments below.

 

[Col@45]

It's easy to understand why ready-made meals appeal to so many.

We all love a time-saver, and having something quick and delicious to whip up when we can't (or don’t want to) cook is a blessing.

​

So for those times when you'd like something semi-home-cooked but don't feel like cooking a meal from scratch, ready-meals are usually the way to go.

The only catch is when you don't prepare a meal yourself, there's certainly the risk that it won't be as fresh as what you'd expect—or worse, it won't contain what you actually paid for.

View attachment 29812

One ALDI customer took an unusual course of action to determine the actual weight of one of their ready-made meals. Credit: Facebook

Recently, an ALDI customer went even further than just complaining about their World Kitchen Butter Chicken.

Despite the meal being a favourite of his, he was always disappointed with the amount of chicken. With the regular price dropping from $9.99 to the currently discounted $8.99, the customer wanted to get to the bottom of the issue.

‘This time I decided to find out how bad the situation is. I used a slotted spoon to fish out all the chicken and weigh it.’

To their surprise, out of an 800g packet, only 201g was chicken, leaving the remaining 599g as 'sauce' and filler.

The customer said, 'They should either add more chicken or take it out and sell it as just a sauce, but at $4-$5, not closer to $9.'

The consumer was also outraged because the name of the product was 'Butter Chicken', yet there was little chicken in comparison to the other ingredients.

View attachment 29813

The customer was disappointed to find out that there were discrepancies in the ready-made meal he had purchased from ALDI. Credit: Shutterstock

According to the NSW Government Food Authority, food labels must contain accurate weight and measures of ingredients inside the product.

The NSW Government Food Authority also states that ingredients on a label should be listed from greatest to smallest based on their weight when added to the food.

The most common allergens must also be displayed on the label, no matter the amount.

With chicken listed in the name of the ALDI product, this should be the main ingredient and heaviest weighing ingredient in the ready meal.

Of course, if a customer is unhappy with their purchase, ALDI allows customers to return a product or receive a refund.

The budget retailer’s website says refunds can be processed through their Customer Service Department via an online feedback form.

Key Takeaways

• An ALDI customer decided to weigh the amount of chicken in the World Kitchen Butter Chicken ready meal after constant disappointments.
• The customer found that the chicken only accounted for a quarter of the total weight of the ready meal.
• The customer shared his findings online, stating that the price was too high considering the amount of chicken included.
• According to the NSW Government Food Authority, the ingredients on a food label must be listed in order of weight, meaning the chicken should be the heaviest ingredient in the product.
• Customers can return any ALDI products they're not satisfied with for a replacement or refund.

What do you think of this ALDI shopper’s reaction to their ready-made meal?

If you’re an ALDI shopper, have you noticed similar product discrepancies? Let us know in the comments below.

I have noticed the same thing and it's a shame that Aldi are charging such high prices for these meals when it helps out so many people who are looking for ways to get a meal without having to cook it, especially senior people. The chicken in this Butter Chicken works out at over $40/kg when there's only 200g of it.

 

[IAN3005]

I have noticed the same thing and it's a shame that Aldi are charging such high prices for these meals when it helps out so many people who are looking for ways to get a meal without having to cook it, especially senior people. The chicken in this Butter Chicken works out at over $40/kg when there's only 200g of it.

I NEVER EVER buy anything pre-prepared or in a container as you don't have a clue what they put into them and you play through the nose. They are laden with things that are bad for the health. Everything is freshly prepared on a daily basis.