Nestle's iconic malted drink Milo was among the food and beverage products to receive a Shonky Award from Choice this year.
Milo won the award for displaying a 4.5 Health Star Rating, which is based on the product made up with skim milk. Without milk, Milo only gets a 1.5 star rating, as it is 46 per cent sugar, according to Choice. The consumer advocate also notes only 13 per cent of Australian consumers drink Milo with skim milk.
Another Shonky recipient was Kellogg's, awarded to the food giant for dropping the price of its Pringles chips from $4.10 to $4.00 in June, while at the same time shrinking the size of the pack and its contents by 10.7 per cent (and upping the saturated fat by 60 per cent). When all was said and done, Choice calculated Pringles had actually seen a 9.3 per cent price hike.
Camel Milk Victoria also copped it for claiming its $21 a litre camel milk product can “improve the immune system by fighting off bacteria and infections and aid those who have autism, diabetes, tuberculosis, cancer, stomach ulcers and more". None of these claims, says Choice, is on the list of permissible flood claims. Choice says it has, as a result, referred the company to the ACCC and Victorian food enforcement bodies.
