Leggo's, Coles and Aldi selling Chinese tomatoes as 'Australian' and 'Italian' in products, forensic testing finds
A Four Corners investigation found that major Australian retailers including Leggo's, Coles, and Aldi are mislabeling Chinese-sourced tomato products as Australian or Italian. Forensic testing confirmed that a significant portion of these products originated from the Xinjiang region, which is associated with forced labor.
Why it matters
This exposes significant supply chain transparency issues and potential ethical violations regarding forced labor, impacting consumer trust and regulatory oversight in the food industry.
Leggo's, Coles and Aldi selling Chinese tomatoes as 'Australian' and 'Italian' in products, forensic testing finds By Adele Ferguson , Chris Gillett and Madi Chwasta of ABC Investigations Four Corners
Link copied Share Share article One of Australia's biggest tomato brands and two major supermarkets are selling products that independent scientific testing shows do not match the country of origin stated on their labels.
Forensic testing conducted for Four Corners has revealed dozens of tomato paste and passata products that claim to be from Australia or Italy are actually from China.
About half of those are sourced from Xinjiang, an area known internationally for its use of forced labour.
The majority of Leggo's tomato paste products tested, in tins, cans, and bottles, were found to have misleading labels. The company, owned by US food giant Simplot, makes strong claims on its packaging that it sources from Australian farms.
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