A supermarket and a juice manufacturer have each been fined $20,400 over representations made about two private label juice products, one of which was made from reconstituted apple juice concentrate imported from China.
Supabarn Supermarkets and The Real Juice Company were fined by The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC).
The apple juice manufactured by The Real Juice Company and sold by Supabarn used phrases on its apple juice like “It’s produced locally using the freshest quality Apples”, “Straight From a Farm”, and “Made in Griffith”.
The cranberry juice, which contained added sugar and other additives, used phrases like “No added sugar; No artificial flavours; No artificial colours; No preservatives”. “So if you like your juice fresh with nothing else added”, and “It’s really just fruit juice!”.
“Truth in advertising is a priority area for the ACCC. Consumers should be able to make informed purchasing decisions and not be misled regarding the composition of products,” ACCC Chairman Rod Sims said.
“The claims we say were made versus the reality in this situation are very concerning, particularly given recent controversy over the source of some food products. 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.”
“Both manufacturers and retailers can be responsible for representations made on packaging or labelling of the products they supply, and each level in the supply chain should have systems in place to ensure that their products are compliant with the Australian Consumer Law,” Sims said.
The Real Juice Company is an Australian owned and operated manufacturer of juice products located in Griffith, New South Wales. Supabarn owns and operates four supermarkets in Canberra and five in Sydney.
