ABC Four Corners · 27 July 2026 · Adele Ferguson, Chris Gillett, Madi Chwasta
“Leggo's, Coles and Aldi selling Chinese tomatoes as 'Australian' and 'Italian' in products, forensic testing finds”
About: Coles Group y Simplot Australia (Leggo's)
The ABC commissioned forensic testing of 33 tomato products. Coles and Simplot deny the finding and attack the method instead. Australia's competition regulator opened a preliminary investigation on 7 August. Article read in full; the fuller company statements come from a regional masthead, not their own newsrooms.
refuted with a document
We count sentences. We do not score the outlet.
What the outlet published
What the documents say
What the outlet published · Sentence 1
“Forensic testing conducted for Four Corners has revealed dozens of tomato paste and passata products that claim to be from Australia or Italy are actually from China.”
What the documents say
«To date, while Four Corners and Source Certain have provided general information about their methodology, they have not provided Leggo's with access to the underlying testing data, analytical framework or detailed results underpinning their findings. Without this information, it is not possible to assess the accuracy of those findings.» — Portavoz de Leggo's (Simplot Australia), declaraciones recogidas por New England Times, 8 de agosto de 2026. https://www.netimes.com.au/2026/08/08/duped-by-the-abc-food-fraud-investigation-may-be-rotten/
▸ Not yet checked
What the outlet published · Sentence 2
“Source Certain tested 33 Leggo's tomato paste products, bought from supermarkets across multiple stores in different states. Of them, 27, about 80 per cent, failed.”
What the outlet published · Sentence 3
“All of these Leggo's products' tomatoes were found to be from China, despite labels saying "Australian grown".”
What the documents say
«Our records confirm the tomatoes used in all our products labelled 'Australian-grown' are grown right here in Australia.» «We have verified this by tracing the relevant products to their date of manufacture, the individual tomato paste inputs used in production, the supplier's verified records of those inputs, and down to the very paddock locations where the tomatoes were grown.» — Portavoz de Leggo's, 8 de agosto de 2026. NOTA DEL EDITOR: la ABC señala que la empresa no ha hecho análisis forenses propios; se apoya en documentación de trazabilidad.
▸ Not yet checked
What the outlet published · Sentence 4
“Of the failed Leggo's paste products, two-thirds were linked to Xinjiang. Six of the seven failed Coles products were also traced to the region.”
What the outlet published · Sentence 5
“Coles Italian tomato paste also failed, along with Aldi's home brand Remano paste.”
What the documents say
«Coles has also been made aware that the origins of inputs such as fertiliser and pesticides can affect the trace element and stable isotope testing. For example if growers use urea as a fertiliser, this is a globally traded commodity which could originate from China and thus affect the isotope profile of the tomatoes.» «We strongly reject any suggestion that Coles knowingly misled customers, engaged in food fraud or profited from food fraud.» — Portavoz de Coles, 8 de agosto de 2026.
▸ Not yet checked
What the outlet published · Sentence 6
“Twenty-two per cent of the products failed country-of-origin testing, while a further 6 per cent were flagged for further testing.”
Published unedited, sealed with a timestamp and no longer modifiable.
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