Kailis Bros fined for misleading labels

Seafood producer and one of Western Australia’s largest private companies, Kailis Bros, has been fined $10,800 by the consumer watchdog for misleading conduct.

Following the issue of an infringement notice, Kailis Bros paid the penalty to the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission for misleading information on its frozen ‘Just Caught Prawn Meat’ product.

ACCC found that the packaging on the product suggested that the prawns were caught, processed and packaged in Australia, when they were in fact packed and processed in Thailand as mentioned in fine print on the back of the packaging.

ACCC chairman Rod Sims said businesses couldn’t rely on fine print disclaimers to correct or qualify a prominent country of origin representation that was false or misleading.

The product was primarily supplied nationally through Woolworths supermarkets,

“The ACCC believed that the images and statements on this product gave the misleading impression that it was packed and processed in Australia,” Mr Sims said.

“Consumers are often prepared to pay a premium for Australian-made products, so any ‘Australian-made’ representations must be accurate.”