Heinz Sued by Aussie Consumer Watchdog For Peddling Sugar As Vegetables

That Kraft Heinz in Australia advertised products that by weight were nearly 70% sugar as, "nutritious food" and "99 percent fruit and veg" sounds more than a bit dubious.

The products targeted toddlers, and no doubt their claims were there to assuage parents' concerns about the contents that looked and tasted like candy.

Well yesterday the state based Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) took action and commenced legal proceedings in federal court.

Beyond not buying into the notion that products that are nearly 70% sugar by weight can be fairly described as nutritious the ACCC is also concerned that,

"rather than encouraging children to develop a taste for nutritious food, these Heinz Shredz products are likely to inhibit the development of a child’s taste for natural fruit and vegetables and encourage a child to become accustomed to, and develop a preference for, sweet tastes"

Unfortunately misleading advertisements are not unique to Australia.

While it's no doubt the food industry's job to sell food, doing so with deceit should not be tolerated. Kudos to the ACCC for acting.

If you're keen on seeing a bunch more, yesterday the presentation I published in 2012 on misleading advertising cleared 400,000 views.