ACCC takes action against Victorian meat suppliers for ‘King Island’ origin claims
The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) has instituted legal proceedings in the Federal Court, Melbourne, against two Victorian meat retailers alleging false and misleading representations about meat claimed to originate from King Island, Tasmania.
The ACCC alleges that Hooker Meats Pty Ltd trading as ‘Peninsula Bulk Meats’, misrepresented in newspaper advertisements and on their website that meat they supplied was grown on King Island.
The ACCC also alleges that Kingisland Meatworks & Cellars Pty Ltd and its director, Mr Alexander Mastromanno, misrepresented in newspaper advertisements and on their website that a significant proportion of meat supplied was grown on King Island.
The ACCC is seeking declarations that the companies contravened the Trade Practices Act 1974 and the Competition & Consumer Act 2010, and is seeking: injunctions, pecuniary penalties, corrective notices, costs, orders that the companies establish and maintain a compliance program.
The proceedings have been filed in the Federal Court’s Fast Track List. Scheduling conferences will be held in Melbourne on 6 October 2011 at 9:30am.
The problem is not necessarily the retailer but the foreign owend company which now owns King Island Beef brand – unless of course they also own the retailer – it is evident that there is more beef sold under the King Island brand than is produced in King Island and they no longer slaughter on King Island – is goes to the abattoir owned by the same foreign owned company tht owns the brand. The ACCC may need to widen its search.