Consumers must be able to rely on food labels and packaging says the Commerce Commission after today's prosecution of Browns of Barrington Ltd in the Christchurch District Court.
The Court found Browns guilty of breaching section 13 of the Fair Trading Act 1986 after offering for sale trays of cooked fish bites labelled as "scallops" during January and February this year. The trays were on sale from Brown's retail shop in Barrington Mall, Christchurch.
"In cases like this, consumers actually had to purchase and try the product before discovering they had been misled," said Director of Fair Trading Deborah Battell. "It is important for consumers that goods are correctly labelled, especially when they are food items."
The Commission's investigation showed that the product, originally packaged as "scallop flavoured cocktails" by a Christchurch fish processing company, were actually made from hoki and other ingredients, and contained no real scallops. The description "scallops" was entered into the scales at Browns' retail shop in Barrington Mall.
The breach has cost Browns $2,735 in fines and costs after pleading guilty.
Media contact: Fair Trading Director Deb Battell Phone work (04) 4980908,
cellphone 025 208 0841
Senior Advisor Communications Jackie MaitlandPhone work (04) 498 0920,
