Seafood producer re-names product after ACCC concerns

Kalamari crumbed seafood rings will be re-named after the product's maker, Austrimi Seafoods Pty Ltd, gave court-enforceable undertakings to the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission.

The ACCC was concerned that the product's packaging was misleading because the use of a picture of crumbed seafood rings and the name Kalamari gave the impression that the rings were made predominately of calamari or squid. The ingredients list stated it contained only four per cent squid.

The ACCC was concerned that the overall impression created by the packaging was likely to mislead consumers, in breach of sections 52 and 53(a) of the Trade Practices Act 1974.

Austrimi Seafoods Pty Ltd has undertaken that in the future it will not:

• supply the product in its current packaging
• use the name Kalamari in relation to the product
• supply seafood products in packaging and/or with labelling that conveys an overall impression that the product consists mainly of, or includes a not insubstantial proportion of, a particular seafood ingredient when this is not the case.

Austrimi Seafoods will also:

• place a corrective notice on its website
• use its best endeavours to have its retail customers place corrective notices at point of sale for a period of 28 days, and
• implement a trade practices law compliance program.

"Companies need to carefully consider how consumers might view both representations on packaging and the overall impression created by the branding and packaging of their products," ACCC Chairman, Mr Graeme Samuel, said today.