Class Action Alleges Carrefour Sells Expired Food in Israel’s Periphery, Not Central Areas
A massive class action lawsuit demanding 240 million shekels has been filed against the French food retail giant Carrefour, accusing it of selling expired and unsafe food products in peripheral Israeli cities while maintaining freshness in central locations. The lawsuit, submitted this week to the Central District Court by a resident of Afula represented by attorneys Roy Bachar and Avraham Yehuda, is based on months of documentation involving over 50 visits to 35 Carrefour branches nationwide. The plaintiff claims to have found thousands of expired items, including highly perishable products such as eggs, dairy, meat, fish, and even infant formula that expired more than 100 days prior.
The suit highlights a stark geographic disparity, alleging that Carrefour removes expired products from shelves in Tel Aviv stores but neglects this duty in peripheral branches like Ashkelon, Afula, and Beit Shean. It also notes that some newly opened stores had expired products on their shelves on opening day, suggesting a systemic policy of negligence. Attorney Roy Bachar called the case "precedential and crucial," demanding immediate removal of expired goods and compensation for affected consumers.
Carrefour strongly denies the allegations, labeling the lawsuit as baseless defamation aimed at damaging the company’s reputation. The retailer emphasized its rigorous food safety protocols, including a quality control team of 10 certified veterinarians supervised by Dr. Tzipori from the Israeli Institute for Quality and Safety. They conduct approximately 150 surprise inspections monthly alongside daily and weekly checks across all branches. Carrefour also stated that selling products with short shelf lives is a legal and common commercial practice and rejected claims of geographic discrimination as unfounded.
The company’s full legal response will be submitted during the ongoing court proceedings. This lawsuit follows a trend of increasing class actions against Israeli food chains over food safety concerns, reflecting growing public sensitivity to these issues.
