The lead story in the business section of the SST on 2 October was headlined “Wattie’s sees red over imports”. The import of the article was that low-cost Italian imported tomatoes are bad:
An investigation is under way into allegations by Heinz Wattie’s that Italian preserved tomatoes have been dumped on the market here, causing “material injury” to the New Zealand food industry. [ . . . ]
The company, which sells tomatoes under the Oak and Wattie’s brands, says the alleged dumping has had a big impact on its business, although local growers are yet to feel the effects.
Then, bafflingly:
New Zealand growers and packers are not the only businesses affected.
Confused? Try this: the story was illustrated by this photo of a stack of 30 cans of Wattie’s tinned tomatoes.
It may be hard to see here from this home-made scan (click on the image to see it bigger), but the word below “Pick of the Crop” and above “tomatoes” on every can is . . . “Italian”.
It may be hard to see here from this home-made scan (click on the image to see it bigger), but the word below “Pick of the Crop” and above “tomatoes” on every can is . . . “Italian”.
I don't post to pop your balloon but ... the tomatoes illustrated are those often referred to as italian i.e. the rectangular type also known as acid free. The illustration is not of those roundy ones we usually see on Watties cans. Truth in advertising, but still misleading as you point out.
ReplyDeleteHow extraordinary. They say "Italian" when they mean "Roma" and then complain about actual Italian tomatoes? The ways of marketing people are passing strange.
ReplyDeleteOn that I absolutely agree with you.
ReplyDeleteMaybe they're worried about offending members of NZ's Bulgarian community? Or possibly the Romanian one - I can never remember which country is most beastly to the gypsies.
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