A beet-up? Heinz threatens Dick Smith

[grandmoon]

Heinz is threatening to sue Dick Smith over claims made on his company’s beetroot tins.

The company says the wording of a label on Smith’s ‘‘Magnificent Sliced Beetroot’’ constitutes injurious falsehood.

The label says: ‘‘When American-owned Heinz decided to move its beetroot processing facility from Australia to New Zealand causing hundreds of lost jobs, we decided enough is enough.

‘‘So we are fighting back against poor quality imported product.’’

Heinz, in a letter to Mr Smith, said the label falsely represented that hundreds of jobs had been lost and that its NZ products were of poor quality.It says job losses were minimal and that its products are of a high quality.

Heinz demanded Mr Smith re-label his cans or face action in the Federal Court.

‘‘Your statements in relation to both job losses and poor quality are factually incorrect,’’ the letter said.

‘‘Our position is that the statement has caused and continues to cause damage to the reputation of Heinz, together with pecuniary loss to our business.’’

Mr Smith released the letter from Heinz during a rally of dairy farmers at Tongala in the Goulburn Valley.

He said he stood by the claims, but was worried about the potential cost of legal action.

‘‘They would know that to go to every warehouse and change the label and reprint them - we would go broke,’’ Mr Smith told AAP from Tongala on Wednesday.

‘‘They’re only doing this because we’re taking up their market share.

‘‘Most people don’t look at the label; they just know our stuff is better quality.’’

Mr Smith said he relied on media reports over the job-shedding claim.Comment is being sought from Heinz.

Read more: http://www.canberratimes.com.au/business/a-beetup-heinz-threatens-dick-smith-20130213-2ecax.html#ixz...

[lakeland27]

'' He’s disappointed that most of the income from Dick Smith Foods royalties has gone not to important charities, but to the Murdoch Press and other foreign-owned multinationals in advertising costs.'' :^O

so all of that effort goes to his support of dubious publications ?

[*crikey*mate*]

Dick Smith foods donate all PROFITS to charity. 4.8 million dollars so far

http://www.dicksmithfoods.com.au/lets-give-it-all-away-all-profits-charity

http://www.dicksmithfoods.com.au/mission-statement

Care factor if Dick is self promoting he is using and supporting Australian Farmers and business's only unlike so many others and supporting Australian jobs and charities.

I didn't know that - That's pretty cool - If it is true - I might just keep an eye out for his products from now on....

[nero_bolt]

I didn't know that - That's pretty cool - If it is true - I might just keep an eye out for his products from now on....

His products are very good and his beetroot is the best I have tasted and all his products are Australian... 

Go to the link below and pull the page down and there is a massive  massive list of who they have donated money to and how to Requests  Donations and Sponsorships from them.

http://www.dicksmithfoods.com.au/lets-give-it-all-away-all-profits-charity

Sadly I am sure the hate monger on here will come up with one of their hateful bitter comments to the donations and the company and the man.....   So much hate from this person to everything Australian and anyone Australian... rather sad to see.... 

[lakeland27]

his own site says '''' He’s disappointed that most of the income from Dick Smith Foods royalties has gone not to important charities, but to the Murdoch Press and other foreign-owned multinationals in advertising costs.''

anyone who gives this much support to murdoch (the lions share ) doesn't have mine . much like yourself .

[lakeland27]

anyone genuinely concerned for this country would not hand over tens of millions to murdoch who supports the wreckers and climate deniers and lies to the australian public everyday. to me.. thats sedition not patriotism.

[happyroo_bunji]

its poison (well extremely bad for your health) vegemite , toxic muck .

mmmm tasty poison.  Nothing beats a fresh bread vegemite sanga

[lakeland27]

mmmm tasty poison.  Nothing beats a fresh bread vegemite sanga

its not to say there isn't any in the pantry here, one of the members of the household likes it. i just look away .. 🙂

[the_hawk*]

anyone genuinely concerned for this country would not hand over tens of millions to murdoch who supports the wreckers and climate deniers and lies to the australian public everyday. to me.. thats sedition not patriotism.

Its pretty hard to get any advertising without paying the murdochs, its the problem when there is a monopoly and they are loyal to the people paying the big $$ to advertise like the big companies.

we would be so much better of if there were more people like tricky dicky supporting local growers and industry

[lakeland27]

that sounds good on the surface hawk. but i found things like his pasta sauce runny and sub-standard.  someone might like it that way.

the real problem for local producers cant be fixed by the likes of dick, the 2 big players drive the price down as with milk .

[the_hawk*]

The exit of local business started with with only one leaving and then others followed, so no reason it cant return the same way.

There is a huge move here in SA for local produce markets and the big super markets are putting a lot of pressure to stop them