Acqua Azzurra is not an Italian product

We have another letter from yet another consumer "misled" by the misleading Acqua Azzurra bottle label:

I have followed your article and subsequent correspondence on Acqua Azzurra and its highly misleading label.

Having spent 42 years living in London, where for the last 18 years I worked as a public relations consultant working with the marketing directors of blue chip accounts, I would say that this product labelling would have contravened every legal marketing aspect in the UK.

I first saw this product in a supermarket shortly after retiring to Malta last October, and only became aware that it is not an Italian product when I read your article on March 23.

When you look at a product on a supermarket shelf, you have to rely on the label for information about the origin of the product (irrespective of where it is bottled). On looking at it:

¤ red, white, and green; the name Acqua Azzurra (as in Azzurri... Italians);

¤ all details in Italian;

¤ and the clincher, "imbottigliata da Aquatess Ltd. per Acqua Azzurra";

I deduced it to be an Italian product, albeit bottled in Malta for the producers, and, as I was looking for Maltese water, I put it back on the shelf.

Having worked with marketing directors for such companies as Barilla, Henkel, ICI, Slazenger, Scottish & Newcastle Breweries, Schwartz Spices and many more, I was involved in the launch of many products and produced copy for their labels.

I do not know what laws there are in Malta to scrutinise such labels and product descriptions, but I can assure Mr Joe Sullivan, director of Aquatess Ltd, that, if his product was marketed in the UK, he would have fallen foul of the Trade Description Act, and would have been liable to considerable fines, because his label is grossly misleading.

Surely if he was not trying to delude customers into thinking that it is an Italian product, Mr Sullivan would have put a red and white ribbon, and included a Maltese version of the Italian text.

Keep up the good work, Mr Muscat Inglott. You are giving an excellent service, unlike Mr Sullivan and his Acqua Azzurra. (Joe Aquilina-St John)

In this case, the "misleading potential buyers into thinking that the product is Italian" worked. However, ironically, it worked against Aquatess because Mr Aquilina-St John wanted a Maltese, rather than Italian, product. Isn't it poetic justice?

I sent a copy of his letter to Aquatess for their comments which, as I submit this column, I have not received. However the Malta Standards Authority sent me a copy of a letter they had sent to Aquatess Ltd:

Reference is made to the sample label for Acqua Azzurra Table Water, submitted yesterday.

Please note that, since reference is being made to the suitability of the product for persons following a low-sodium diet, the sodium content (in mg/litre) should preferably be included in the product analysis.

All other aspects of the label conform to regulatory requirements. (Martin Seychell, director [Foodstuffs, Chemicals & Cosmetics] Malta Standards Authority)

I sent Mr Seychell a photocopy of Mr Aquilina-St John's letter, highlighting the last sentence, and wrote, "I believe the above highlighted sentence is not correct in view of the fact that the label is misleading." Indeed the Consumer and Competition Division are looking into the misleading aspect of the label.

In the absence of any response from Mr Seychell, I called him and we had a very lively telephone conversation. Mr Seychell told me something, which I'd rather not quote because I must have it in writing to feature it in our column.

Therefore I ask Mr Seychell a question which only requires a "Yes" or a "No" reply. Is the above Acqua Azzurra label misleading? I look forward to receiving Mr Seychell's reply.

In any case I am still receiving a lot of verbal, rather than written, feedback on the articles I have written so far on this issue. The crux of the matter is that, if we want Aquatess Ltd to stop misleading consumers into thinking that Acqua Azzurra is an Italian product, we must have written feedback from consumers to be featured in our column.

Therefore if, like Geoffrey Mifsud, Rose Agius and Mr Aquilina-St John you were misled into thinking or believing that Acqua Azzurra is an Italian product, please write to me and copy in Aquatess Ltd, Tal-Handaq Road, Qormi QRM 08, or vice versa.

As I already stated in previous columns, I do not know how many people are supposed to be misled by a misleading product description for the relevant competent authorities to charge and deal with the respective offenders accordingly.