I wanted to make pizza, but we needed cheese. It was a busy day and the easiest thing to do was to call my husband and ask HIM to get some.
So he went to Mega. He told me that's where he was going, so I asked him just to get a block of cheapest cheese at the cheese counter - usually that's Gilboa, because it is one of the price controlled items in the supermarket.
Ok, he did.
And then he got home. I pulled out my grater and started grating the cheese by hand. My husband stood there, not quite comprehending, and asked, "why didn't I just have them shred it?"
I told him that a while ago they told me if I wanted it shredded it was going to cost more, I couldn't remember exactly HOW MUCH more - somewhere in the 50 shekel/kg range, so I stopped buying shredded cheese (I have a grater at home, I can shred cheese myself).
Little did I know that I should have reported them, as today Globes reported they are investigating the situation... apparently they are charging 53 shekel/kg for shredded Gilboa cheese, claiming that the price controls are only in effect on Gilboa sold in a block or sliced, but not shredded.
Have you seen this anywhere?
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I guess it makes sense that there's a fee for the "service" but I'm not familiar with regulations surround this...
ReplyDeletePs, I always try to make sure to have cheese (grated works best) in the freezer.
I have objected to this in our local store and the cheese counter worker always gives it to me at the same price as the regular... she knows I am the sort of customer who would complain to officialdom about it... because I reported them for putting the plastic carton on the scales and essentially charging for it by its weight... by law it has to be less than 10g if they do this.... I am pretty sure it is illegal... that they did this otherwise Globes wouldn't have reported it.
ReplyDeleteour cheese counter has a sign up saying that if you get an item in the plastic container you will pay for its weight. it says how much it weighs, as well, and i am pretty sure it is more than 10g.
ReplyDeleteHmm.
It's disgusting that they would charge for this "service"- it's not like they're standing there grating it for 10 minutes. They put the cheese into a grating machine, for lack of a better term. They pull a lever, the cheese gets forced through all the holes, and it falls, grated, into the box. Takes about 3 seconds.
ReplyDeleteMega in talpiot will grate or slice your cheese for you at no extra cost. And gilboa is cheaper than buying the pre-packed (in the red bag) buy about 6nis.
ReplyDeleteCan you please publish a list of all the price controlled items? I didn't know about this cheese, but for sure now that I do I will buy it!
ReplyDeleteWill do, Helen! Great idea. Thanks for asking! (Look for it at the beginning of next week, bli neder!)
ReplyDeleteHelen Oster - I wrote an article about price controlled food in Israel, check it out at http://www.kosherfrugal.com/2013/01/price-controlled-foods-in-israel.html
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