Why our tomato products are temporarily off the shelf
Many of you will be aware that Range Tasmania recently suspended the sale of three products following serious concerns raised by an ABC Four Corners investigation into the provenance and traceability of processed tomato ingredients sold in Australia.
The affected Range Tasmania products are:
- Puttanesca Pasta Sauce
- Sweet Tomato Chutney
- Tomato Mustard Sauce
ABC News has published a follow-up report about Range Tasmania's decision, the effect this issue is having on our small business, and the difficulty we have experienced obtaining clear guidance from the authorities responsible for food labelling and consumer protection.
Range Tasmania has only ever purchased tomato ingredients represented to us as Australian grown. This was consistent with our commitment to source ingredients from Tasmania or mainland Australia wherever possible.
There is currently no evidence establishing that Range Tasmania's products contain incorrectly described ingredients. However, the ABC investigation has raised sufficient doubt about the reliability of some supplier and country of origin claims that we no longer believe it is appropriate to continue selling these products until their provenance can be independently verified.
We have therefore kept all three products off sale while we continue seeking information from our suppliers, regulators and other relevant authorities.
This decision will affect our business financially, but transparency, ethical sourcing and the trust of our customers are fundamental to Range Tasmania. We would rather temporarily withdraw a product than continue selling it while legitimate questions remain unanswered.
The situation has also highlighted how difficult it can be for a small food producer to identify which regulatory authority is responsible for investigating possible food fraud and providing practical guidance about existing stock, marketing and labelling.
We apologise for any inconvenience and thank you for your understanding and support.
We'll share another update as soon as we have reliable information. In the meantime, if you have any questions, please get in touch.