A FAMILY-owned Griffith juicer has been fined $20,400 for false representation after claiming juice was from the district when it was actually reconstituted Chinese product.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) revealed on Thursday that Supabarn branded two litre apple juice, manufactured by the Real Juice Company, was falsely labelled “Made in Griffith”.
ACCC chair Rod Sims said the claims made versus the reality of the situation were “very concerning”.
“In addition, false or misleading claims of this kind not only mislead consumers, but can also disadvantage competing suppliers in the market, especially those who are using Australian grown fruit,” Mr Sims said.
Supabarn, a Sydney-based supermarket that stocked the juice, was also fined for claiming its home-brand cranberry juice did not have added sugar when it did.
A Supabarn spokesman cried foul, saying in an original statement to Fairfax Media that it was a “victim”.
“Supabarn itself was misled by Real Juice about the composition of its product … (it is) considering its legal position in relation to the conduct of Real Juice.”
The label on the apple juice, sold between January 2014 and March 2015, also falsely claimed: “It’s produced locally using the freshest quality apples” and “Straight from a farm”.
Appledale Processors Co-Operative chair David Gartrell was appalled by the findings, saying the company’s actions marred the entire industry.
“Certainly, we worry that it impacts consumers confidence,” Mr Gartrell said.
The findings place greater importance on the co-operative’s decade-long push for tighter labelling restrictions.
“It’s disappointing, considering the push from all Australia manufacturers in regard to labelling, that they have tried to sneak in imported juice,” Mr Gartrell said. “We are very keen on truth in labelling.”
He said a lack of availability of suitable juicing apples in 2014 had probably led the company to purchasing the juice. “Some companies did this but put the label ‘from local and imported ingredients’,” Mr Gartrell said.
“They (Real Juice Company) probably thought they could get away with it and save money on print runs.
Mr Gartrell commended the ACCC for fining the company saying it would be “a really good lesson”.
Real Juice Company chair Tony Taliano was not available for comment.
