Mystery beer and sausage shoppers to monitor prices

They are known as the “beer police”. Deployed to ensure shoppers are not being ripped off with an extra 2000 businesses a year to be the subject of random inspections. Annika Smethurst has the exclusive details.

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Beer and banger police will visit butchers, pubs and supermarkets posing as customers to make sure consumers aren’t being ripped off.

The “mystery shoppers” will visit an extra 2000 businesses this year to check they are ­putting the correct amount of beer in a schooner glass and sausages in a kilo pack.

The latest blitz will see an extra 10,000 lines of packaged goods tested compared to last financial year.

Bars will also be targeted in random audits to make sure glasses and jugs hold the ­correct amount of liquid, which is particularly an issue at hipster pubs that serve drinks in non-traditional containers such as mason jars.

Beer and sausage police will be monitoring prices in stores to make sure customers aren’t being ripped off. Picture: iStock

The blitz will also make sure the correct weight of sausages are packaged. Picture: Zoe Phillips

The audit will be run by the National Measurement Institute, a government authority that can fine businesses up to $210,000.

Lesser offences attract fines of about $1000 or a warning.

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In 2017-18, about a third of audited businesses were found to be breaching measurement guidelines, including several shops that were caught selling prepacked deli cheeses with shortfalls of up to 10 per cent.

Some supermarkets were also caught selling prepacked steaks that were up to 20 per cent underweight.

Industry, Science and Technology Minister Karen Andrews said the government wants to make sure people are getting what they’re paying for.

More than 30 licensed premises around the country were also caught under-pouring spirits in ­cocktails.

Frozen seafood coming from South-East Asia has also been identified as a high-risk product for undersupply, with ice used to boost the weight of prepacked goods.

Industry, Science and Technology Minister Karen Andrews said the government recognises every dollar counts and it wants to make sure “you’re getting what you pay for”.

“We want to make sure that when you go to the pub your beer is full, when you buy a kilo of mince it’s a kilo and when you’re putting fuel in the car you’re getting every drop that you should,” Ms Andrews said.

“When we’re short-changed it’s usually small amounts, but if it happens enough times it really adds up.”

In the last financial year, more than 50 fines totalling $65,250 were issued, with one extreme case referred for prosecution.