SDC Rewards Member
Upgrade yours now
A
.png){kind=icon}
Vegetarian Aussie calls out Coles for supposedly confusing branding — but not everyone agrees
Aussies are mostly meat eaters, with an annual consumption of 89.6kg per capita, according to the University of Sydney.
Australia is also among the top countries consuming meat globally. In 2018, it was second to the US in the list of countries that eat the most meat.
In 1982 and 2015, Australia held the distinction of being the ‘world’s most voracious meat eaters.’
Although meat plays a big part in Australian cuisine, some Aussies have already adopted a vegetarian or vegan lifestyle.
The latest data shows that 12.1% of Aussies are vegetarians while 1% identify as vegans.
Many supermarkets have begun accommodating the dietary needs of vegetarians and vegans, including Coles.
However, a vegetarian customer who shopped online was disappointed to find that a purchase was not meat-free. The item in question is the ‘Coles I'm Free From Beef Sausage Roll,’ which is from the supermarket's ‘I’m Free’ range.
The I’m Free range of Coles offers allergen-free options in colourful packs. Credit: Coles
The shopper thought that the label meant that the product was ‘free from’ beef. But as it turns out, it was only free from gluten and wheat — a fact they only discovered after reading the fine print.
They promptly slammed the supermarket on social media, commenting on one of Coles’ posts.
‘Purchasing vegetarian options and was rapt to see the 'I'm free from BEEF sausage rolls' on the online order options. How annoying to receive these only to be able to read the fine print that they are, in fact, only free from gluten and wheat? Advertising needs to be changed for sure,’ the woman commented with an accompanying photo of the Coles sausage rolls.
One commenter, supporting the claim of the vegetarian shopper, posted: ‘Online the 'gluten and wheat' bit after I'M FREE FROM is blurry... even if you opt for what Coles jokingly describes as their zoomed image.’
But others were less sympathetic, wondering why the woman failed to gather the information through the product description.
A follower of the Coles Facebook page commented: ‘If you read it properly, they are gluten and wheat-free BEEF sausage rolls.’
Another chimed in, saying: ‘Can't blame Coles for something you can't read properly.’
We attached the product page of the said item so you can see for yourself if the labelling and the advertising are misleading.
A vegetarian customer mistook the product to be free from beef. Credit: Facebook/J Bee/Yahoo
While the product is labelled ‘Coles I’m Free From Beef Sausage Roll’, the packaging also says ‘lightly seasoned, Australian beef encased in a crispy golden pastry’.
A Coles spokesperson acknowledged the issue through Yahoo! News, saying: ‘While the full list of ingredients for this product is available on our website, we understand the customer's frustration and confusion and will follow up with the Coles Online team to ensure the product information is easier to understand when shopping online.’
The I’m Free range from Coles intends to give allergen sufferers ‘the ability to choose delicious foods without compromise’. Shoppers are provided with gluten-free, dairy-free, nut-free, egg-free, and wheat-free options.
I’m Free products are identifiable through speech bubbles that say ‘I’m Free From’. They also come in colourful packages.
Do you think the customer is justified in their claim of misleading advertising? Let us know in the comments below!
