Tasmanian Producer Pulls Products After Report Links Leggo's Paste to China

Tasmanian producer Stuart Young has temporarily removed three products from sale after a "Four Corners" investigation revealed potential issues with the origin of ingredients in Leggo's tomato paste. Young, who has been hand-producing goods on his farm for over a decade, stated that when his products list ingredients sourced from "further afield," it refers to mainland Australia, not China.

The investigation found that over 80 percent of forensically tested samples of Leggo's tomato paste exhibited chemical profiles matching tomatoes grown in China, despite the brand advertising the use of Australian-grown produce. This revelation prompted Young's decision to pull his products, citing the need for transparency and the potential impact on his business's reputation and bottom line.

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[We are ] taking the products out of sale temporarily until we learn more will certainly affect our bottom line and possibly our reputation. But our customers deserve transparency in the truth.

Young expressed frustration with the lack of clear information from authorities, stating it has eroded his faith in the system. He is seeking assurance from food regulators on how to proceed and wonders if other producers are unknowingly using similar ingredients. "Our customers deserve transparency in the truth," he asserted.

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I want some assurance or some guidance from food regulators as to what we should do. I don't know if there's other small producers or large producers out there that use Australian tomato products in their produce only to learn that they're in the same boat.

Simplot, the owner of Leggo's, disputed the test results. In a statement, the company asserted its comprehensive traceability, supplier verification, and audit processes. While Simplot works with suppliers to ensure quality and compliance, they confirmed they have not conducted forensic testing on the products in question. They maintain that their supply chain documentation traces the products back to Australian farms.

Furthermore, the "Four Corners" investigation, which tested over 900 tomato products, linked approximately half of those containing Chinese tomatoes to Xinjiang. Nearly two-thirds of the Leggo's products that failed the origin testing were connected to this region, raising serious concerns about potential forced labor practices involving Uyghur workers.

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Simplot maintains comprehensive traceability, supplier verification and audit processes across its supply chain. We work closely with our suppliers through quality assurance, sourcing verification and compliance programs to ensure our products meet our quality, sourcing and regulatory requirements.