- The Australian Competition & Consumer Commission (ACCC) has fined Unilever and Smith’s for misleading “canteen approved” labels.
- The move follows IQS and Choice Consumer Group’s campaign to remove dodgy canteen labels. Go team!
- Is it time for a full audit of school canteen guidelines?
After months of Sarah and IQS campaigning for healthier canteens, the ACCC has finally stepped in and fined two companies with misleading “canteen approved” labels.
Unilever and Smiths have each paid fines of $10,800 and will stop using the self-invented canteen labels on their products, Streets Rainbow Paddle Pops and Sakata Paws Pizza Supreme Rice Snacks respectively.
CHOICE Consumer Group and I Quit Sugar alerted the ACCC to the issue on revealing 17 unregulated “canteen-approved labels”. The ACCC found the companies had indeed made false representations about the healthiness of their products.
While both products are approved in canteens under their Amber Guidelines (recommended in small amounts), this disclaimer was displayed in tiny font and on the other side of the packet. Talk about sneaky!
And obviously these tactics worked. Consumer surveys found that 43 per cent of parents believed the products with these logos were healthier and had been approved by an independent authority or government body.
The companies have now agreed to remove the dodgy logos. They join Arnott’s, who we successfully campaigned against last year to remove misleading logos from its hundreds and thousands Tiny Teddies.
But the battle ain’t over yet! Rainbow Paddle Pops are still freely available in school canteens (among other sugary, junky products). We believe that treats should be something parents provide, not schools. After all, an “amber guideline” is not going to stop kids from choosing ice-cream over salad.
Parents and kids deserve our help to make it easier to choose real food instead of junk. We’re continuing to campaign for an overhaul of the National Healthy School Canteens Guidelines. Watch this space!
What do you think should be done to make school canteens healthier?
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