Celebrate National Consumer Protection Week and the Professionals that Protect Virginia Consumers

Celebrate National Consumer Protection Week and the Professionals that Protect Virginia Consumers

The Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (VDACS) joins national organizations in celebrating National Consumer Protection Week and National Weights and Measures Week, March 1-7, 2026. VDACS staff in the Division of Consumer Protection and the Division of Animal and Food Industry Services are tasked with the work of administering a variety of laws and regulations that protect the quality and safety of fuel, food, and other integral services for consumers in the Commonwealth of Virginia.

National Consumer Protection Week seeks to raise awareness and amplify resources for consumers to learn more about how they are protected from fraud and errors. National Weights and Measures Week commemorates the first national law that provided states with a set of weights and measures standards to protect buyers and sellers of commodities. VDACS' work includes a wide range of consumer protection activities, from checking the accuracy of fuel pumps and grocery store scales, to inspecting meat, poultry, and dairy products for safety, to registering charitable organizations, and more.

"Accuracy is the foundation of a fair marketplace," said VDACS Commissioner Charles Green. "By testing nearly 90,000 commercial weighing and measuring devices annually, VDACS ensures that every Virginian gets exactly what they pay for. National Consumer Protection Week and National Weights and Measures Week serve as a reminder that behind every gallon of gas and every pound of produce sold is a rigorous standard of precision that protects both the consumer's wallet and the integrity of our businesses."

Some highlights of VDACS' work to serve consumers in Fiscal Year 2025 include:

• The Office of Weights and Measures (OWM) conducted 89,316 tests of weighing and measuring equipment and rejected 21,549 for inaccuracies.
• OWM verified point-of-sale prices on 69,905 items using store check-out scanners.
• The Office of Meat and Poultry ensured 66,532,663 pounds of meat and poultry products were safe to eat.
• The Dairy Services Program inspected 1,308 dairy farms and 311 cheese and frozen dessert plants.
• The Office of Hemp Enforcement reviewed 18,451 edible hemp products.
• The Office of Charitable and Regulatory Programs (OCRP) recovered $70,918 in refunds for consumers through complaints and voluntary settlements.
• OCRP maintained the annual registration of more than 12,000 charitable organizations that intend to solicit contributions in the Commonwealth.
• The Office of Pesticide Services registered more than 15,000 pesticide products, licensed more than 2,500 pesticide businesses, and certified more than 21,000 pesticide applicators.
• The Office of Dairy and Foods conducted 11,846 food safety inspections and protected consumers from 36,195 pounds of food found to be misbranded or at an incorrect temperature.
• The Office of Plant Industry Services inspected more than 6,600 acres of nursery stock to prevent the spread of weeds, insects, and other disease pests.