People seem to be surprised by the new anti-theft security measures implemented by German supermarket chain Lidl. Recently, a shopper posted on Facebook that they had found new packaging in Weehawken, New Jersey, showing a photo of a package of meat with a yellow label on it that read “protected by security.” According to YLE News, these types of stickers are more common in Lidl stores in Finland, and their purpose is to combat the theft of certain items from supermarkets. According to ControlTek USA, the items most frequently stolen from stores in the United States are baby formula, meat and seafood, cheese, alcohol, cosmetics, and over-the-counter medications.
One thing that caught my attention about Lidl customers is that only Cheddar cheese has the security tag. This is explained by data from the Centre for Retail Research, which indicates that this cheese is the most stolen product in the United Kingdom and Europe. In addition, large thefts of meat have been reported in the United States in 2025, as was the case in Safeway stores. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), these thefts took place after meat prices rose.
Lidl
Lidl is a supermarket chain belonging to the Schwarz Group, present in 30 countries, with more than 12,600 stores and around 230 logistics centers, and a workforce of more than 382,000 people. It is the leading supermarket chain in Europe and began its expansion into the United States several years ago. It operates mainly on the east coast, and today the chain has 192 stores in the United States and intends to continue growing in cities such as New York and Atlanta. Lidl’s recipe for success combines low prices, a modern shopping experience, and quality products.
Safety measures at Lidl
Recently, a shopper at Lidl in Weehawken, New Jersey, United States, posted a photo on their Facebook profile showing a yellow label stuck to a package of meat that reads “protected by safety.” The sticker shows a picture of a padlock and says “Refrigerated food, please remove all packaging before microwaving.” “This is just sad…,” wrote the Lidl shopper, to which other users also commented:
“It’s sad, but it had to be done,” one Facebook user wrote in the comments.
“Don’t blame them for protecting sticky fingers from stealing.”
“I never thought I’d see the day when enough people were stealing food to justify putting security devices on FOOD,” said another person.
What do these stickers mean?
According to YLE News, these stickers are not exclusive to that store, but are also found in Lidl stores in Finland. They can be found on everything from coffee to cheese. Although the German chain did not immediately respond to a request for comment from U.S. Sun, it explained that when a store notices that products are frequently disappearing, they mark them with these alarm stickers. What has attracted attention is the type of product on which these stickers are found. According to photos shared by YLE News, they are found on supplements, nutritional products, fish, and alcoholic beverages.
However, a Lidl shopper in Finland shared one of the most striking cases: no cheese had this label except for cheddar cheese. He explained it on the social network Reddit: “So I was at Lidl today and all the cheddar is security tagged. None of the other cheese. Just the cheddar,“ the social media user wrote. ”Is it really that high on the theft target list?” The truth is that data from the Centre for Retail Research already indicated that cheese is one of the most stolen products in the United Kingdom and Europe.
Most stolen products
According to Control TEK USA, the products with the highest theft rates in the United States are:
- Baby formula: one of the most stolen items, accounting for 3.1% of thefts
- Meat and seafood: often stolen to be resold to suppliers and restaurants
- Cheese: 4% of cheese on store shelves is stolen
- Alcohol: nearly 3% of alcohol in the US is stolen.
- Cosmetics: 2% of sales are lost each year due to theft.
- Over-the-counter medications: commonly stolen medications include ibuprofen, antihistamines, and weight loss drugs.
Food thefts
Food thefts are not limited to cheese; in the United States, large-scale meat thefts have been reported in 2025. In Louisiana, police discovered $1,500 worth of stolen beef steaks last August. Prior to that incident, four people allegedly stole thousands of dollars worth of beef from Safeway stores, prompting a helicopter chase in California.