Unfortunately, mislabelling is more common than most people may think. This is definitely the case that has recently come to light in reference to olive oil that is being sold in Australia.
However, the Australian Competition and Consumer Chairman has recognized the problem and is looking out for the consumer.
The Problem
It has recently become known that not all olive oil products being sold in Australia are properly labelled. A great deal of the mislabelling came in the country of origin for the product. Numerous olive oil brands charge a premium for their “local” olive oils that are actually from another country. Some of the misguiding labels include such phrases as:
- “Proudly Australian Owned”
- “100% Australian Owned
- “Product of Australia”
The problem is that numerous olive oil brands are being sold under these labels, but they are being manufactured elsewhere. The result is a high priced and misleading product.
The ACCC Reaction
It is important for the consumer to know where the products that they buy and eat are produced where they are labelled. It is simply intolerable for food products to be mislabelled in this manner. For that reason, the ACCC has reacted to the problem. A buying guide has been released explaining how customers can shop for and determine what olive oil is actually from Australia and which products are not. Additionally, the buying guide will help consumers recognize the difference in the claims of the following:
- Virgin
- Extra Virgin
- Pure and Light
- Pure
Consumers should know that they are buying what the product is labelled. While the mislabelling continues to be a problem, consumers can now learn how to be smart shoppers in order to choose products that are genuinely what they say they are. If consumers follow this guide, offered by the ACCC for free, they can choose the right products.
