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...

[the_great_she_elephant]

We have a local Farmers Market here in Bunbury. It's not one of those monthly set up your own stall markets but a commercial venture that is open 7 days a week. All the fruit and veggies are local - or at least WA frowns and they also sell dairy products and now meat. People love it and it's doing a roaring trade and has its own Facebook page. I hardly have to spend any money in the supermarket now.

[not_an_eloi]

mate told me that a new local produce market's just opened on the gold coast,

produce by the pier, think 'e said it's called

[chinchuckchick]

Does Dick Smith pay producers more/correct worth for their beetroot etc?

Does he have training programs in place for people working in his company?

Are parents able to access leave without their jobs being at risk?

I don't know the answers to these questions, and cant be bothered googling.

I really don't care care that he may donate all profit to charity, I don't think he would do it if it didn't benefit him at tax time.

[the_hawk*]

Does Dick Smith pay producers more/correct worth for their beetroot etc?

Does he have training programs in place for people working in his company?

Are parents able to access leave without their jobs being at risk?

I don't know the answers to these questions, and cant be bothered googling.

I really don't care care that he may donate all profit to charity, I don't think he would do it if it didn't benefit him at tax time.

Workers rights are protected in Oz unlike the third world countries that dont, I also know first hand he always treated his workers well in the past.

I don't think he would do it if it didn't benefit him at tax time.

He doesn't need the money and has always been heavily into helping people, especially in Oz, I think he believes in the old saying of Charity begins at home.

[topsidesoul]

We have a local Farmers Market here in Bunbury. It's not one of those monthly set up your own stall markets but a commercial venture that is open 7 days a week. All the fruit and veggies are local - or at least WA frowns and they also sell dairy products and now meat. People love it and it's doing a roaring trade and has its own Facebook page. I hardly have to spend any money in the supermarket now.

You should be buying your fruit from Woolies or Coles.

Nothing like stale fruit and vegetables that has been frozen for weeks:-p

[topsidesoul]

Workers rights are protected in Oz unlike the third world countries that dont, I also know first hand he always treated his workers well in the past.

Not for long, I have heard complaints from the Liberals about the workplace relations laws being changed as well as the Ombudsman's department being unfair to employers,even though every week there seems to be something in the paper about a company underpaying their workers to the sum of ....

Have had family phone them to find out legal rights and they are always helpful and very quick, as opposed to other departments under Labour.