Heinz is under pressure yet again to change the branding of its Farmers' Market soup range after campaigners called for a ban on what they says are "phoney" marketing claims.
The manufacturer was one of 30 food companies named and shamed in the Ethical Hijack report, published this week by food and farming organisation Sustain.
In the report, Sustain accused Heinz of abusing the term 'farmers' market', which it said should only be used to describe products bought from a market where farmers, producers or growers from a certain area sold produce direct to the consumer.
The group, which is now calling for government intervention, also accused Asda of using the description "in season" to promote plums and nectarines from Chile, and Sainsbury's of transporting carrots hundreds of miles and then selling them as "local".
Such claims deliberately misled consumers, said Kath Dalmeny, Sustain policy director. "The mainstream food industry is aware descriptions such as local, seasonal and farmers' market are attractive to consumers," she said.
"Big food companies and supermarkets have begun to abuse these descriptions by applying them to products and practices that we believe do not deserve such ethical or environmental credentials."
Sustain has submitted the report to the FSA as part of the recent government review into food marketing terms, said Sustain, which is calling on the FSA to adopt nationally agreed definitions.
There were calls for Heinz to drop the Farmers' Market name last year as the soup does not contain local ingredients. The Advertising Standards Authority subsequently called on Heinz to adapt its branding, putting "Inspired by farmers' markets" on packs and in ads.
Heinz, however, defended its decision to market the range under the Farmers' Market banner, adding that consumers purchasing these products "are in no way confused regarding the nature of what they are buying from Heinz".
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