Whole Foods mocked for selling 'asparagus water'
Digital Reporter
Wednesday, August 5, 2015, 3:35 PM - Grocery retail chain Whole Foods has pulled $6 bottles of asparagus water from a Los Angeles location after thousands took to social media to mock the product. The company says the product was a mistake and the result of a food labeling error.
The controversial offering consisted of three asparagus stalks in a bottle of water.
A Los Angeles resident posted a photo of the product on Instagram and it quickly went viral, leading to criticism the grocer was overcharging customers for a ridiculous "health" product.
If you fell for the $6 #AsparagusWater #WholeFoods whoops ur just a fool. Asparagus is about $2 and water is free, so that fail's on you.
— Jenna Nordschow (@JennaLynn003) August 5, 2015
Whole Foods told CBC the water was a mistake that had only been "carried briefly" at one location.
“We actually don’t sell asparagus water in our stores,” Whole Foods Market spokesperson Liz Burkhart told CBS. “We looked into the item as soon as it was brought to our attention.”
Thanks for the nutritious breakfast, @McCanntha! #asparaguswater @WholeFoods #fail #playingwithfridgemagnets pic.twitter.com/oEy6Xglsow
— Julia Ritz Toffoli (@juliaritztoff) August 5, 2015Hey @WholeFoods, I have a new product suggestion. Mix some sand with tap water and sell it as #MineralWater, right beside #AsparagusWater.
— Kyle Yoon (@Kyle__Yoon) August 5, 2015
This latest gaffe comes weeks after the release of a critical report by the New York City Department of Consumer Affairs (DCA).
Whole Foods -- a self-described 'eco-minded chain' that sells primarily natural and organic foods -- is notoriously pricey. The DCA report added further fuel to price criticisms, arguing it had discovered "systematic overcharging for pre-packaged foods" at the city's Whole Foods locations.
"Our inspectors tell me this is the worst case of mislabeling they have seen in their careers," Julie Menin, the department's commissioner, told CNN.
Officials investigated 80 different types of pre-packaged foods sold in the stores and found none had the correct weights. According to the DCA, 89% of the packages violated federal rules for how much a package can stray from the actual weight.
This resulted in overcharging that ranged from 80 cents for a package of pecan panko to as much as $14.84 for coconut shrimp.
The DCA said Whole Foods could face fines in the thousands for the violations.
"We cooperated fully with the DCA from the beginning until we disagreed with their grossly excessive monetary demands," the company said in a statement.
"Despite our requests to the DCA, they have not provided evidence to back up their demands nor have they requested any additional information from us, but instead have taken this to the media to coerce us."
