Australian Producer Fined for Local Honey that is not Honey, or Local26 Jun 2014 --- An Australian company has been fined for misleading consumers about its honey, because it isn’t produced by bees. The product, which is mostly comprised of sugar from plants, including corn and sugar cane, should not be labelled as ‘honey’ according to the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC). Food wholesaler, Basfoods Australia, which produces the ‘Victoria Honey’, has been fined more than $30,000 for misleading consumers. The company was also targeted for stating that the product was made locally when it was actually imported from Turkey. More than 180,000 one-kilogram tubs of the product have already been sold in the two-and-a-half years it has been on sale, according to reports. ''Honey suppliers should now be on notice that they must have a basis for selling a product as 'honey', which likely should include tests to confirm the product is in fact honey produced entirely by honey bees,'' commission chairman Rod Sims said. ''It is difficult for consumers to test claims by traders that a certain product is actually 'honey' or is from a certain place of origin. False claims of this kind not only mislead consumers but can also disadvantage competing honey suppliers, particularly those who source honey locally within Australia.'' Basfoods supplied ‘Victoria Honey’ to independent supermarkets, specialty retailers, online stores, delis, restaurants and cafes. The Australian Honey Bee Industry Council first identified ‘Victoria Honey’ as potentially breaching labelling laws.
To contact our editorial team please email us at editorial@cnsmedia.com 
Related ArticlesFood Ingredients News Peruvian influences: Superfoods, heritage and export success inspire culinary creativity
23 Oct 2018 --- Increased consumer interest in superfoods from Latin America, and Peru, in particular, is driving innovation and creating waves in the food industry. Peru is becoming more influential in the global food market, as an exporter and scene of culinary inspiration. The Peruvian climate also allows for a broad range of foods to be grown, opening up many possibilities for NPD or exports of unique Peruvian ingredients and bringing them to markets outside of Latin America. Food Ingredients News Functional fruit: Dirafrost refreshes smoothie market with new range
18 Sep 2018 --- Frozen food company Dirafrost FFI (Dirafrost), part of Agrana Fruit and well known for its fruit and fruit purees, is stepping out of its comfort zone and refreshing the smoothie market. The company already had a range of 11 smoothies, but now, according to the company, their new range changes the tone. Food Ingredients News Snack attack: Better-for-you, healthy, spicy and savory NPD drivers
18 Sep 2018 --- More consumers frequently snack throughout the day. Salty snacks are competing not only with each other but also with a myriad of other categories as more food and drink products have become “snackable.” Also, busy lifestyles, concerns about long-term health and the desire to get health-boosting benefits from daily food and drinks have also affected the snack aisle. Food Ingredients News 71 percent of US consumers check for sugar content, claims Kerry research
22 Aug 2018 --- Kerry has released the findings of new clean label research on sweetening agents which reveals that 71 percent of US consumers now read the label for sugar content, while almost half of people surveyed really want to slash their sugar consumption. American consumers’ awareness and preference toward natural and artificial sweetening agents are explored in Kerry’s latest 20-page White Paper entitled “Sensibly Sweet, Formulating for Clean Label Taste.” Food Ingredients News Tyson Foods divests pizza crust business to private equity firm
14 Aug 2018 --- Tyson Foods has reached an agreement to sell its pizza crust business, TNT Crust business (TNT), to an affiliate of private equity firm Peak Rock Capital (Peak Rock). Terms of the deal have not been disclosed. However, the two companies hope to complete the deal by September. The transaction is the seventh recent food and beverage investment for Peak Rock. |
