The problem, which Ahold disclosed last month, involved U.S. Foodservice inflating promotional payments from its suppliers, falsely increasing its profit.

The problems involved the inflation of promotional payments from suppliers, falsely increasing the unit's profit.

Some independent music store owners depicted the move as a blow to small and specialized record stores, who depend on the promotional payments.

Afome blames SAGPyA for not reaching cultivation goals established in 1999 due to delayed promotional payments.

I don't think I could be happy any longer sitting around doing promotional payments.

But the move could hurt supermarket chains, which have come to rely on promotional payments from manufacturers for profits.

The company said the problems it had uncovered were centered mainly on promotional payments by manufacturers to Ahold's U.S. Foodservice subsidiary.

The accounting problems arose in part from the company's American food distribution unit, U.S. Foodservice, which it said had improperly recorded promotional payments from suppliers.

The problem involved the accounting for promotional payments made to the unit, which was acquired by Ahold in 2000.

Many supermarkets have come to rely on promotional payments for a significant share of their profits.