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Labor & working conditionsConfirmed
Kroger's human rights partner certified Mexican berry farms with forced labor reports
Ethical Food Initiative, Kroger's human rights partner, certified Mexican berry farms despite worker reports of abusive practices that constitute forced labor, and the voluntary scheme was found to mask violations, hinder worker voice, and enable retaliation.
However, where abusive conditions are systemic, as is the case in agriculture, voluntary CSR regimes and social audits often fail to address persistent rights abuses.3 Kroger’s human rights partner, Ethical Food Initiative, certified berry farms in Mexico despite workers describing abusive practices that constitute forced labor, and the voluntary scheme was found to mask violations, hinder worker voice, and enable retaliation against workers.4
Corporate conductRecall
Kroger recalls meat products for lead levels
Kroger recalled meat products due to concerns about lead levels.
In 2021, an investigation from the LA Times revealed Kroger to be buying tomatoes from a Mexican farm subject to a Withhold Release Order (WRO) from the U.S. Government due to findings related to forced labor, and in early 2023, the Department of Labor publicly outed Kroger as a buyer of watermelons harvested by modern-day slaves...
As if one instance of modern-day slavery uncovered in its supply chain weren’t enough to motivate a meaningful conversation about the need to get serious about monitoring and enforcing human rights standards in its suppliers’ operations, this marks the third time in the past four years alone that Kroger has been linked to a forced labor operation when there is a ready-made, proven and highly-regarded solution standing right in front of Kroger: the Fair Food Program.
Labor & working conditionsAllegation
Kroger is accused of cheating workers out of overtime pay
Kroger is accused of using bogus management jobs to cheat workers out of overtime pay since 2020.
Court documents in multiple jurisdictions show that Kroger and its many banner subsidiaries are currently or have recently been accused of using bogus management jobs to cheat workers out of overtime pay since 2020:
Kroger sued for cheating on overtime, ‘retail’s dirty little secret’
Corporate conductRecall
Kroger recalls 1.6M dozen eggs over salmonella risk
Kroger recalled nearly 1.6 million dozen eggs sold at its and other stores due to potential salmonella contamination.
Kroger Deli Pasta Salads (Basil Pesto Bowtie, Smoked Mozzarella Penne) recalled October 2, 2025: Sold nationwide (Georgia, South Carolina, Alabama, Kentucky, Ohio, Indiana, Michigan, Illinois, Missouri, Tennessee, Arkansas, Mississippi, North Carolina, Virginia, West Virginia, Texas, Louisiana), possible Listeria contamination.
Corporate conductRecall
Kroger recalls Food Lion meals for metal contamination
Kroger recalled Food Lion meals due to possible metal contamination.
Kroger has settled an EEOC disability discrimination lawsuit involving an Atlanta employee.
The settlement resolves a lawsuit filed by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), which alleged that Kroger discriminated against the employee based on her disability and retaliated against her after she sought an accommodation.
Kroger will pay $75,000 to settle a disability discrimination lawsuit brought by a breast cancer survivor who worked at the grocery giant’s store in Edgewood, Georgia.
Breast Cancer Survivor Wins Disability Lawsuit Kroger To Pay $75K
EEOC Sues The Kroger Company for Disability Discrimination and Retaliation
ATLANTA – The Kroger Co., a food and drug retailer, violated federal law when an Atlanta Kroger store discriminated against an employee because of her disability and then retaliated against her for complaining about the discrimination, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) charged in a lawsuit it recently filed.
EEOC Sues The Kroger Company for Disability Discrimination and Retaliation | U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission
HOUSTON – Kroger Texas L.P. – Houston Division, operator of Kroger grocery store #300 in Houston’s Clear Lake/NASA area, violated federal employment law when it failed to accommodate and then fired an employee because of her disability, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) charged in a lawsuit filed last week.
In addition to the $40,000 in monetary relief, the consent decree settling the suit requires Kroger to make significant changes to its new-hire process, including but not limited to providing employees with vision disabilities access to tools and resources such as magnification for its computer-based and written onboarding and training programs.
According to the EEOC's lawsuit, Kroger offered Michael Haugabrook a courtesy clerk position at its Jonesboro, Ga., store on or about March 15, 2016.
For the decree's duration, Kroger will post a notice to its employees about the lawsuit and report to the EEOC all employee requests for an accommodation under the ADA.
ATLANTA - Cincinnati-based national grocery store chain Kroger will pay $40,000 to settle a disability discrimination lawsuit filed by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), the federal agency announced today.
To prevent similar discrimination against future vision-impaired employees, Kroger will educate its workforce on disability discrimination via training at its Jonesboro location.
Workplace equityAllegation
Kroger is accused of telling employee lighter work is available
EEOC alleged a store manager told an employee Kroger does not do accommodations like lighter work and would instead find lighter work for her to perform.
EEOC alleged that a store manager told the employee that Kroger did not "do accommodations like that" and would instead find her lighter work to perform.
Workplace equitySettlement
Kroger settles religious discrimination claim
Kroger settled after disciplining employees for refusing to wear an apron with the "Our Promise" symbol due to religious beliefs.
The agency said Kroger Limited Partnership I engaged in religious discrimination when it disciplined and fired the employees for refusing to wear an apron with the company’s "Our Promise" symbol because they believed it represented support for the LGBTQ+ community.
The EEOC settles with Kroger Limited Partnership I in religious discrimination lawsuit
Kroger marketed Carbmaster Bread Products to consumers on specialty diets while significantly misrepresenting the nutritional information of those products."
The lawsuit specifically accused Kroger of violating California's False Advertising and Unfair Competition laws, claiming the company labeled five varieties of Carbmaster bread with inaccurate calorie information, both on the product packaging and in online listings.
Kroger to pay $1.25 million to settle California lawsuit alleging inaccurate calorie listings - ABC News
Corporate conductRecall
Kroger recalls food products across 22 states
Kroger announced several major food recalls for products sold at its stores and subsidiaries across 22 U.S. states.
The following five products sold at Kroger and Fred Meyer stores across the U.S. have been recalled.
Several major food recalls of products sold by Kroger have been announced since early July, prompting warnings not to consume specific products sold at its stores and subsidiaries across 22 U.S. states.
Kroger says: “Specific lot codes of the product are being recalled due to variety packs may have cans labeled Celsius Energy Drink filled with seltzer alcohol.”
The 18 states impacted by the Kroger recalls over the past six months are: Georgia, South Carolina, Alabama, Kentucky, Ohio, Indiana, Virginia, Michigan, Illinois, Missouri, Tennessee, Arkansas, Mississippi, North Carolina, West Virginia, Texas, Louisiana, and Wisconsin.
BRHD Deli Veg Trays and Cucumber Products, recalled May 21, 2025: Affects Kroger stores located in the Greater Memphis area, Tennessee; Arkansas; Mississippi; Western Kentucky.
Hummus Veg Platter, recalled May 21, 2025, affects Kroger stores located in the Greater Memphis area, Tennessee; Arkansas; Mississippi; Western Kentucky.
Cucumbers: recalled May 21, 2025: Affects Kroger stores located in the Greater Memphis area, Tennessee; Arkansas; Mississippi; Western Kentucky.
Foster Farms/State Fair/Jimmy Dean Corn Dogs and Sausage Products, recalled October 6 and September 28, 2025: Sold in 17 states (Georgia, South Carolina, Alabama, Kentucky, Ohio, Indiana, Michigan, Illinois, Missouri, Tennessee, Arkansas, Mississippi, North Carolina, Virginia, West Virginia, Texas, Louisiana) and multiple Kroger banners, recalled due to potential wood fragments causing injury.
Corporate conductRecall
Kroger recalls December and January products
Kroger recalled products made in December and January.
Kroger Recall Update for Multiple Items Across US - Newsweek
Kroger Recalls Made in December and January
Kroger announced that Ukrop had begun recalling certain types of Pound cake on December 11, 2025.
Corporate conductAllegation
Kroger is accused of breaching merger agreement
Kroger is accused of breaching a merger agreement by refusing to divest assets necessary for antitrust approval and ignoring regulators’ feedback, according to the Idaho-based grocery chain.
Third, the Merger Agreement had a further provision under which Kroger was obligated, in the event a regulator threatened or instituted any Proceeding (defined to include “any investigation”—which, we note, potentially could include a “Second Request” from the FTC) challenging the merger on antitrust grounds, to take “any and all actions” to (i) contest the Proceeding to avoid the entry of an injunction and (ii) “eliminate each and every impediment under any Antitrust Law” to closing the merger before the end date.
sued Kroger for breaching a merger agreement by refusing to divest assets necessary for antitrust approval and ignoring regulators’ feedback, among other issues, according to the Idaho-based grocery chain.
sued Kroger for breaching a merger agreement by refusing to divest assets necessary for antitrust approval and ignoring regulators’ feedback, among other issues, according to the Idaho-based grocery chain.
The grocery chain accused Kroger of “willfully” violating the merger agreement by refusing to divest assets required for antitrust approval, ignoring regulator feedback and refusing to accept stronger suitors for the stores being divested.
Corporate conductAllegation
Kroger is accused of submitting false claims
Kroger is accused of submitting false claims to government healthcare programs like Medicare for opioids and other drugs deemed not reasonable, necessary, or eligible for coverage.
Department of Justice is investigating allegations that Kroger, which has pharmacies in many of its stores, submitted false claims to government healthcare programs like Medicare for opioids and other drugs that were not “reasonable, necessary, or eligible for coverage,” court records show.
Kroger under federal investigation for alleged false Medicare opioid claims: court docs
Corporate conductAllegation
Kroger is accused of submitting false claims
OIG alleged that Kroger submitted claims for payment to federal health care programs for which a former employee falsified prior authorizations.
OIG alleged that Kroger submitted claims for payment to Federal health care programs for which a now former employee in Kroger’s patient access coordinator group falsified prior authorizations.
Labor & working conditionsConfirmed
Kroger faces worker back pay complaint
A group of workers represented by United Food and Commercial Workers Local 400 filed a complaint in federal court on Jan. 19 seeking back pay and damages from Kroger.
A group of workers represented by the United Food and Commercial Workers Local 400 filed a complaint in federal court on Jan. 19 seeking back pay and damages from Kroger.
Climate & energyConfirmed
Kroger marks VOC emissions data as confidential
Kroger has designated information about 4.92 tons of excess VOC emissions in California as confidential.
Based upon this information (which Kroger has designated as confidential), the violations were calculated to have 4.92 tons of excess VOC emissions emitted in California.