Whole Foods Market Inc. agreed to pay $500,000 to settle an investigation that it overcharged customers for prepackaged food in New York City, resolving a spat that had hurt efforts to shed its “Whole Paycheck” image. The company said that there was no evidence of “systematic or intentional misconduct” but agreed to pay the fine to “put this issue behind us,” according to a statement on its website. In June, New York’s Department of Consumer Affairs announced an investigation into overcharging at Whole Foods after finding “thousands” of potential violations in a survey of about 80 different types of prepackaged products such as vegetable platters and cooked boneless chicken. Bloomberg News
