Arnott’s, and S26 Gold Toddler and Junior were among the seven companies named at Choice’s annual Shonky Awards.
“The Choice Shonky Awards put the spotlight on products and services that are sneaky, slippery, unscrupulous and sometimes unsafe. The risk of receiving an infamous Shonky encourages businesses to sharpen up their act and put consumers first,” said Choice chief executive, Alan Kirkland.
“This year we had a record 1041 Shonky nominations from across Australia, which highlights the level of consumer concern about shonky products and services.”
Arnott’s Tim Tam Peanut Butter flavour was named, after the company did not include peanuts in its ‘peanut butter flavour’ biscuits and cut two biscuits and 35g from the pack while maintaining the same price and package size.
S26 Gold Toddler and Junior was also named at the awards, after it marketed its S-26 Gold Toddler and Junior powdered milk to retailers in an industry trade magazine, with “Keep mums buying with our extended range of nutritious milk drinks”.
The problem with this is professionals advise that toddler and junior milks aren’t needed for healthy kids over the age of one, and that the focus should be on increasing solids and developing better eating habits.
“We hope the Shonkys encourage consumers to look critically at the goods and services they use, and question poor service, hidden costs and the fine print beneath claims that seem too good to be true,” Kirkland said.