Queensland Yoghurt Company Pty Ltd (QYC) paid a fine of $ 12,600 for infringement for allegedly misleading consumers by omitting gelatin as an ingredient.
The ACCC claims that as of at least July 2, 2019, QYC did not disclose the presence of gelatin or the compound ingredient CFT-1, which included gelatin, in its Queensland yogurt products.
"Consumers rely on accurate labels to make informed buying decisions," said Sarah Court, ACCC commissioner.
“QYC's failure to disclose gelatin means that consumers may have bought their yogurt products because they believe they do not contain gelatin.
"This can be particularly important for customers who do not consume gelatin for dietary, religious, ecological or ethical reasons."
The ACCC was also concerned that QYC did not compete fairly in a market where products are differentiated by their ingredients by offering what appeared to be a more attractive product that was presented as gelatin-free.
"Misleading statements about food are a priority area of enforcement for 2020 for the ACCC and we will continue to take enforcement action if necessary," Ms. Court said.
QYC is committed to changing the content declaration of its products by the end of May.
