Lactalis has paid $59,400 in penalties after the ACCC issued it with three infringement notices for making false or misleading representations in the labelling of two of its milk products.

The ACCC alleges that Lactalis’ Golden North ‘Country Fresh’ 2lt milk and Ferguson Valley ‘WA DAIRY FRESH’ 2lt milk were labelled as fresh milk, when each contained substantial amounts of powdered reconstituted ingredients.

Lactalis’ products were identified in an ACCC investigation of the milk processing industry, which included obtaining information and reviewing the products of several major dairy processors and retailers.

Lactalis removed the word ‘fresh’ from these product labels after the ACCC raised concerns about this labelling.

“Consumers should be able to trust product labels as accurate descriptions of the products they are buying, particularly for everyday groceries such as milk,” says ACCC Deputy Chair Mick Keogh.

“We were very concerned that prominent ‘fresh’ claims on these products may have been misleading, as consumers wouldn’t expect fresh milk to contain substantial amounts of powdered, reconstituted ingredients.

“All food processors, including dairy companies, are on notice about the importance of truthfulness and accuracy with their packaging and labelling, and that they risk serious consequences if they make misleading claims to consumers.”