Pringles was highlighted in the “Chipping Away At Your Wallet” category after the snack’s price was reduced by 10 cents, which should have been a good thing. Trouble is, the Choice judges claimed that the size of the chips have also been reduced—by an “astounding” 8.9%—in diameter, while the pack’s length had shrunk by a “staggering” 9.7%.
“Back in January when you could pick up a 150g pack of Pringles for A$4.10, you paid A$2.73 per 100g of chips. The new packs were 10.7% lighter, down to 134g and selling for A$4 each, or A$2.99 per 100g. So when it comes to what you actually get for your money, that's a 9.3% price pop,” the judges wrote in their citation.
They also said that each new Pringles pack contained nearly 60% more saturated fat than the previous version.
Kellogg, Pringles’ manufacturer, put the size shift down to a move of production from America to a new factory in Malaysia.
Next, Nestlé was given the award for “Sugar-coating Health Claims” after it gave its Milo chocolate drink an impressive Health Star rating of 4.5, which the judges took issue with.
“Given Milo is 46% sugar, we were more than a little surprised by the high HSR claim, so we decided to take a closer look,” they said.
“Nestlé calculated Milo's rating on an ‘as prepared’ basis. This means they don't just take into account the Milo, but also the 200ml of skim milk they say you should drink with it.”
In fact, research suggests that only 13% of Australians drink Milo with skim milk, though 55% choose full-fat milk. If “as prepared” actually referred to full-fat, then the Health Star rating would be a much less impressive 2.5. Without milk altogether, Milo would achieve a lowly 1.5.
“We think Nestlé should accurately inform consumers… how unhealthy its product actually is and display the true 1.5 star rating on the tin,” the judges wrote.
In the “Milking the Truth” category, Camel Milk Victoria came out victorious.
“This all-natural panacea can do just about anything apparently, and is ‘known to help improve the immune system by fighting off bacteria and infections and aid those who have autism, diabetes, tuberculosis, cancer, stomach ulcers and more’,” the judges said.
“Problem is, we checked these impressive claims with the food regulator, and none of them are on the list of permissible food health claims.”
Choice has since referred the manufacturer to the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission for investigation.
Finally, Choice took issue with the Medical Weightloss Institute, which it awarded a Shonky for offering “Dodgy Diet Advice” to vulnerable people.
The diet is branded as one that doesn’t require exercise to work. Indeed, its advocate promotes it by saying: "I believe the harder you train, the hungrier you get, the more you eat.”
Instead, all that is required is for followers to maybe try out an eating plan (“It’s just a suggestion,” says its promoter), along with a “medical treatment plan” which will fix the "suboptimal" hormone levels which are the underlying cause of weight issues.
“One customer paid A$4,400—a half-price discount!—to sign up. In the first month she lost just two kilograms, and for all the money she spent, she was given medication that makes her nauseated, one support phone call a week and a two-page menu suggestion,” the judges deliberated.
“Another customer on a 35-week course of appetite suppressants (at a cost of $5420) was told to see her own GP when the drugs made her feel sick.”
More stories from Down Under…
Spreading the joy: Australia’s growing taste for butter
Butter is currently winning the argument over its competitors, being purchased by far more Australian shoppers than margarine or dairy spreads and butter blends, according to market research.
In the last year, 55% of grocery buyers bought butter in an average month—a substantial increase on the 47% who would buy the spread it in 2012.
Butter buyers eclipsed the 45% who bought margarine, a figure which has declined by 20% since 2012, and the 30% who chose dairy spreads, according to Roy Morgan Research.
But butter buying is not binary, and many shoppers buy more than one different kind of spread each month, the survey found. Nearly one in five purchase both butter and margarine, 16.5% buy butter and dairy spread, 11.5% opt for margarine and dairy spread. A further 8.7% buy all three.
Among buyers of each type of spread, supermarkets’ own brands feature prominently, with different varieties of Western Star, Devondale and Flora also being popular choices.
Almost 30% of those who buy butter in an average month opt for a supermarket brand, putting Western Star (20%) in second spot; and 18% of those who purchase margarine also choose home-brand, ahead of the 10.0% who choose Nuttelex.
Devondale Dairy Soft (18%) dominates the butter-blend/dairy-spread market, with supermarket brands in third spot, at 12%.
“Opinion is divided over whether butter is better than margarine or vice-versa, with most health experts advising that eating too much of either is prejudicial to the health, due to their high—albeit different kinds of—fat content,” said Norman Morris of Roy Morgan Research.
“The argument is too complex to go into here: suffice it to say that, while butter was once considered the bad guy for its saturated fat content, it has since gained ground at the expense of margarine, which has recently been under scrutiny for being too processed.”
The market researcher’s data shows that the trend towards butter over margarine continues to build, though it also suggests that many Australians are hedging their bets by buying both.
“It’s quite revealing that butter consumption does not differ greatly between age groups and is consistently much more widely consumed than the other spreads., though margarine consumption tracks steadily upwards past the age of 35, peaking with folks aged 65 or older,” Morris added.
“Butter, margarine and butter-blend brands wishing to negotiate this tricky market and convince consumers to choose their product would be in a far better position to do so equipped with the holistic, in-depth knowledge of grocery buyers’ attitudes, purchasing habits and demographics.”
Penfolds winemaker given Australian science’s highest accolade
A prominent South Australian winemaker has been recognised as a leader in science for his contributions to oenology.
The Royal Institution of Australia awarded Penfolds chief winemaker Peter Gago a prestigious Bragg Membership for his contributions to the science of winemaking.
Gago said he was “shocked, delighted and humbled” to be made an Honorary Bragg Member, the highest category of membership the institution awards.
The Bragg Membership is named after the South Australian scientists Sir William Henry Bragg and Sir William Lawrence Bragg, a father-and-son team who won the Nobel Prize in 1915 for establishing X-ray crystallography, a scientific technique still widely used today.
“I am delighted as I am honoured to represent the pursuits of the many practitioners of the ancient discipline of oenology, humbled at joining eminent and world-renowned scientists and shocked to have been chosen on the right side of 60,” Gago said.
He joins just 31 other scientists as a member, and was inducted along with paleontologist Michael Archer, marine biologist Terry Hughes and biochemist Zee Upton.
The Royal Institution of Australia chairman Peter Yates said celebrating the achievements of great scientists was an important part of Australia’s development as an innovative nation.
“By acknowledging and honouring our industry leaders we hope to inspire the next generation of scientists and STEM graduates who will play a critical role in building Australia’s future,” he said.
Peter Gago has been the chief winemaker of Penfolds since 2002, only the fourth since Max Schubert was first appointed in 1948.
Market update: New Zealand lamb prices
New Zealand lamb prices were down by 5% in September, compared to the previous year, due to a decline in exports as a result of lower production and the effect of the strengthening dollar.
According to Mintec, the commodities analyst, both chilled and frozen exports have been falling since May 2016—recent data shows that July exports were down by 22% from last year at 16,857 tonnes.
The strengthening dollar has made New Zealand produce more expensive on the global market, having rallied by 15% since the end of January against the US dollar. It has also strengthened against other major currencies due to an increase in demand from investors as a result of high interest rates in New Zealand.
Exports have also weakened because of a decline in slaughtering and production, due to a drop in the number of ewes put to the ram in 2016.