ID :
127012
Wed, 06/09/2010 - 20:18
Auther :
Shortlink :
http://m.oananews.org//node/127012
The shortlink copeid
Food firm fined for mislabelling bacon
Australia's largest producer of smallgoods has been slapped with a record fine for
mislabelling a large quantity of bacon product as "Product of Australia" when the
meat was from overseas.
Primo Smallgoods' meat processing plant in Chullora, in Sydney's west, is the
largest smallgoods producer of its kind in the southern hemisphere.
The company's abattoir in Port Wakefield, South Australia, processes more than
10,000 pigs a week for domestic and overseas markets.
On Wednesday, Downing Centre Court Magistrate Carolyn Barkell handed down a fine of
$237,575 to Primo for mislabelling Danish and Canadian bacon products as Australian
and ordered it to pay costs of $200,000.
NSW Primary Industries Minister Steve Whan said irrespective of the origin of the
meat, consumers should get what they pay for.
"There is no suggestion there was anything wrong with the product in terms of
health," Mr Whan told reporters.
"This $237,000 fine represents a very welcome decision by a court to enforce the
right that NSW consumers have to know that when something is labelled as a product
of Australia it is a product of Australia."
Primo had pleaded guilty to 63 charges under the NSW Food Act relating to the
packaging and labelling of its meat.
The NSW Food Authority, which investigated the case for more than a year, estimated
more than 100 tonnes of product was improperly labelled.
"I don't have the exact figure but I think it was over 100 tonnes of product,"
enforcement manager Christine Tumney told journalists.
This estimate was rejected by Primo, which said the amount of product involved did
not reach one tonne.
The authority was tipped off in January 2008 about labelling practices, leading to
an investigation into a number of packaging companies but only Primo was found to be
engaged in wrongdoing.
"This amount is the highest fine that we've had in our history of prosecutions," Ms
Tumney said.
The overseas pork products were labelled as "Product of Australia" and "Meat content
100% Australian".
Ms Tumney said it was up to debate if Primo gained a financial advantage through the
practice.
"Some would argue that case," she said.
"We would be of the opinion that there is always a market advantage for labelling
something as 'Product of Australia'."
mislabelling a large quantity of bacon product as "Product of Australia" when the
meat was from overseas.
Primo Smallgoods' meat processing plant in Chullora, in Sydney's west, is the
largest smallgoods producer of its kind in the southern hemisphere.
The company's abattoir in Port Wakefield, South Australia, processes more than
10,000 pigs a week for domestic and overseas markets.
On Wednesday, Downing Centre Court Magistrate Carolyn Barkell handed down a fine of
$237,575 to Primo for mislabelling Danish and Canadian bacon products as Australian
and ordered it to pay costs of $200,000.
NSW Primary Industries Minister Steve Whan said irrespective of the origin of the
meat, consumers should get what they pay for.
"There is no suggestion there was anything wrong with the product in terms of
health," Mr Whan told reporters.
"This $237,000 fine represents a very welcome decision by a court to enforce the
right that NSW consumers have to know that when something is labelled as a product
of Australia it is a product of Australia."
Primo had pleaded guilty to 63 charges under the NSW Food Act relating to the
packaging and labelling of its meat.
The NSW Food Authority, which investigated the case for more than a year, estimated
more than 100 tonnes of product was improperly labelled.
"I don't have the exact figure but I think it was over 100 tonnes of product,"
enforcement manager Christine Tumney told journalists.
This estimate was rejected by Primo, which said the amount of product involved did
not reach one tonne.
The authority was tipped off in January 2008 about labelling practices, leading to
an investigation into a number of packaging companies but only Primo was found to be
engaged in wrongdoing.
"This amount is the highest fine that we've had in our history of prosecutions," Ms
Tumney said.
The overseas pork products were labelled as "Product of Australia" and "Meat content
100% Australian".
Ms Tumney said it was up to debate if Primo gained a financial advantage through the
practice.
"Some would argue that case," she said.
"We would be of the opinion that there is always a market advantage for labelling
something as 'Product of Australia'."
