Bought 'Australian-grown' tomato products? Tests reveal their true origin

Lead

Australia's consumer watchdog has launched an inquiry after a major investigation by ABC's Four Corners revealed that many tomato products sold in Australian supermarkets are not what their labels claim. Forensic testing commissioned for the program found that dozens of tomato paste and passata products labelled as 'Australian grown' or 'Italian' were actually consistent with tomatoes grown in China. The findings have prompted at least one small business to pull products from shelves and raised concerns about the integrity of Australia's food supply chain.

Coverage Comparison

Reports from ABC Australia, which conducted the investigation across multiple outlets, describe an eight-month project that collated thousands of food import inspection records, national food recalls, state regulatory records and international food fraud intelligence. The program commissioned independent forensic testing of hundreds of products across multiple brands, with samples anonymised before analysis. The laboratory used, Source Certain, has previously worked with the FBI, Scotland Yard, Interpol and the Australian Federal Police.

The testing analysed 221 processed tomato products from 39 brands, including paste, passata and diced tomato. One report states that 22 per cent of the products failed country-of-origin testing, while a further 6 per cent were flagged for further testing. Another report provides a slightly different figure, saying that one in four of the tested tomato products sold in supermarkets and retail outlets failed forensic country-of-origin testing or were flagged for further investigation.

A key focus of the investigation was Leggo's, a brand owned by US food giant Simplot. According to the reports, more than 80 per cent of forensically tested samples of Leggo's tomato paste had chemical profiles consistent with tomatoes grown in China, despite the company's packaging making strong claims about sourcing from Australian farms. All of the Leggo's products tested were found to have tomatoes from China. Coles's 'Italian' tomato paste and Aldi's home brand Remano paste also failed testing.

Key Claims

• Forensic testing for Four Corners found that dozens of tomato paste products labelled as from Australia or Italy were consistent with Chinese-grown tomatoes. About half of the failed products were sourced from Xinjiang, an area known internationally for its use of forced labour.
• All tomato products that failed testing came from China. Of those, the lab traced 53 per cent to Xinjiang; the rest were confirmed as Chinese but the exact region could not be identified.
• The investigation also revealed other food fraud: some seafood promoted as Australian, such as white fish and prawns, was consistent with being sourced from Vietnam; some eggs marketed as 'cage-free' did not match those claims; and three brands of turmeric showed signs of adulteration, including lead chromate and iron oxide.
• Alcohol products, including Dirty George spirits, were found to contain dangerous levels of methanol, exceeding the legal limit.
• The reports highlight that only a fraction of imported food is inspected, and testing for dangerous contaminants has declined since 2019. Honey is the only imported food routinely tested for adulteration, at a rate of 5 per cent.
• The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) has launched a preliminary investigation into the claims raised by Four Corners regarding allegations of potentially misleading consumer conduct.
• Assistant Competition Minister Andrew Leigh welcomed the inquiry, saying 'Australians shouldn't be duped by misleading labels'.

Perspectives

Consumer watchdog (ACCC): The ACCC has launched a preliminary investigation into the claims raised by Four Corners, stating that it is important that consumers can be confident that claims on food labelling, packaging and advertisements are truthful and accurate.

Small business owner (Stuart Young): Stuart Young, who runs Range Tasmania, a small-batch jarred goods business in southern Tasmania, pulled three products containing Leggo's tomato paste off the shelf after learning of the findings. He said the decision was made 'as a precaution' and called for transparency and assurance from food regulators, saying the experience had eroded his faith in the system.

Manufacturer (Simplot): Simplot, the owner of Leggo's, declined an interview with the ABC but rejected the test results in a statement, saying it has comprehensive traceability and supplier verification processes.

Government: Assistant Competition Minister Andrew Leigh has welcomed the ACCC inquiry, saying Australians shouldn't be misled by inaccurate labels.