Lactalis Australia has been fined by the Australian Competition and Consumer Protection Authority (ACCC) for allegedly misleading claims on the labels of certain dairy products. The company paid a total fine of AUD$59.400 (approximately US$41.200) in connection with three infringement notices issued by the regulator.
At the centre of the affair are two two-litre milk cartons marketed under the brands Golden North Country Fresh e Ferguson Valley WA Dairy Fresh, presented as fresh milk despite containing, according to the ACCC, significant quantities of reconstituted ingredients obtained from milk powder.
The investigation was part of a broader review of Australia's milk processing sector, during which the authority examined the products of several operators in the supply chain. The ACCC noted that most processors and distributors correctly label fresh milk, but it found anomalies in Lactalis products.
In particular, the authority argues that milk Golden North Country Fresh 2L contained significant quantities of reconstituted skimmed milk and reconstituted lactose, while the product Ferguson Valley WA Dairy Fresh 2L included significant amounts of reconstituted lactose.
Following the ACCC's report, Lactalis removed the "fresh" label from the affected packaging. The company, which also sells brands such as Pauls, Harvey Fresh, Oak, Vaalia, and Ice Break in Australia, has not yet released an official comment through its French parent company.
ACCC Deputy Chairman Mick Keogh emphasized that consumers must be able to rely on the accuracy of information on packaging, especially when it comes to consumer products like milk. According to the regulator, the inclusion of the word "fresh" could have misled shoppers, who wouldn't normally expect to find reconstituted ingredients from powder in a product labeled as fresh milk.
Keogh also stressed that the Australian food industry must be extremely vigilant about the accuracy of information on packaging and labels, warning that misleading statements can have significant consequences.
This isn't the first time Lactalis has been fined in the country. In 2022, the company was already fined AUD 950.000 for violations of the dairy industry code of conduct related to supply agreements for the 2020-2021 season.
The group was also subject to a measure in Italy in 2024, when it was fined for commercial practices deemed unfair under national industry regulations, following a complaint filed by Coldiretti. The new Australian case thus refocuses attention on the importance of transparency in information provided to consumers and compliance with food labeling regulations.
