BDS SA welcomes 'country of origin' label probe

Cape Town – Business lobby group Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions Against Israel in SA (BDS SA) has welcomed the recent probe into country of origin labels in the retail industry nationwide.

“We trust that the NCC will use its full capabilities and not be intimidated or threatened by Woolworths or other retailers,” BDS SA said in a statement of Wednesday.

The probe followed a complaint to the National Consumer Commission in which a consumer alleged that Woolworths produce had differing labels of origin.

READ: Woolworths complaint sparks label, trade probe

However, NCC commissioner Ebrahim Mohamed clarified in a statement on October 29 that the NCC’s investigation was “not into false Israeli labelling by Woolworths, but rather a much broader industry-wide investigation focusing on labelling and trade descriptions by retailers, including Woolworths”.

BDS SA said the launch of the investigation allayed initial concerns by consumers that the NCC had taken unacceptably long to investigate complaints.

BDS SA spokesperson Kwara Kekana told Fin24 that the group was gearing up for the Woolworths annual general meeting on November 30 where it planned to raise the issue of mislabelling through “shareholder activists”.

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