Call Kurtis: Why Are Some Of My Sweetener Packets Empty?

SACRAMENTO (CBS13) -- When filling up her morning cup of coffee, Susan Sterling always tops it off with three packets of her favorite brand of sweetener: NatraTaste Blue.

"Every day, seven days a week," she said.

But, Susan said she has been regularly shorted.

"I'll pick up a little packet that's totally sealed, but it's also totally empty," Susan said.

Sometimes, she said she'll find up to three empty packets in a box. But, she said the company has not responded to her complaints.

"I just feel like I'm being deceived as a consumer and I don't like that," Susan said.

We brought the issue to Jackson McCarty with Sacramento County's Weights and Measures. The agency is tasked with keeping companies honest on its promised measurements.

He did his own investigation, but did not find any discrepancies in the one box he tested.

Still, McCarty said companies shouldn't ignore concerned customers.

"If you get a complaint take it seriously," he said.

The Department of Weights and Measures has the power to pull deceptive products off store shelves, and can recommend prosecution.

CVS agreed to cough up $225,000 last year, after counties in California sued for using oversized packaging with certain beauty products.

Kraft Foods paid $37,000 in 2012, after it was accused of shorting consumers on certain Oscar Meyers meat.

"I'm at the point where I want to know why," Susan said.

We learned NatraTaste and Sweet'N Low have the same parent company, which told us it didn't have a record of Susan contacting them. But, Susan insists she did email the company.

A spokesperson sent CBS13 the following statement: "Customers are always our main priority at NatraTaste. As a family-owned business, we take complaints about our products to heart. If you find there is an issue with a NatraTaste product that you have purchased, please contact us through our online website or our customer service line at 1-800-628-7211, we will gladly replace the product or refund you. By providing us with the production code number on the box, we are also able to check our production line to make sure that this doesn't happen again."

The company agreed to send Susan a free box of NatraTaste Blue.

But, Susan says if she keeps getting shorted, she'll be looking for a new sweetener.

The law does allow consumers to be shorted a certain amount, depending on the product you buy.

When Weights and Measures inspectors investigate a product's lot, some can be overweight, and some can be under weight – but the entire lot cannot come up short.

If you think you're being shorted on a product, write down the production codes listed, and call the company. If that does not work, you can file a complaint with your county's Weights and Measures Department.