New Zealand - A stock feed company has been fined $125,000 in the Auckland District Court after pleading guilty to eight charges of breaching the Fair Trading Act.
The Commerce Commission says Mainfeeds Limited, which was also formally known as PCL Ltd, sold calf feed that did not meet advertised specifications.
It says Mainfeeds described a product called Finish Up as a high protein, high quality calf feed, but then changed the recipe to reduce the protein content and increase the salt, diminishing the feed quality.
The commission says Mainfeeds was aware the product no longer met its advertised specifications, but did not alter the packaging accordingly, nor did it alert suppliers or customers.
In sentencing, Judge Kiernan noted that the offending had the potential for serious and far reaching consequences, particularly given that farming is a key industry in New Zealand.
