Coles has hit back at the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission over the handling of recent fines that were issued to the supermarket giant.
Coles says that the food-labelling complaint which related to misleading claims surrounding the country of origin of particular in store fruit displays, was handled in an inappropriate manner, stating that the watchdog demonstrated an “appalling regulatory process”, as reported by The Australian Financial Review.
Coles opted to pay the fine to avoid waiting for a court hearing, however Coles spokesman Robert Hadler said that the industry regulator’s handling of the case was appalling.
“We question the principle, the materiality and the process around the decision,” he said.
ACCC Chairman Rod Sims accepted that the industry body’s approach to the incident was less than perfect, however he believes that the supermarket still would have been fined regardless as the advertising was clearly misleading to consumers.
Last month the competition regulator launched legal proceedings against Coles for misleading and deceptive conduct relating to the supply of bread that was partially baked and frozen off-site, then 'finished' in-store and marketed as 'Baked Today, Sold Today' or 'Freshly Baked In-Store'.