Shops accused over tomato labelling

TOMATOES are being wrongly labelled in French supermarkets to give customers the impression they are buying the highest quality, a consumer group has claimed.

An investigation by CLCV claims the big retail chains are capitalising on the popularity of plump, juicy oxheart cœur de bœuf tomatoes - and giving "ambiguous" labels to sub-standard types, calling the them "oxheart-style" or "from the oxheart group".

Cœur de bœuf tomatoes command a higher price per kilo - 28% higher according to CLCV - because they are more scarce and are difficult to keep, typically only lasting three or four days.

The consumer association visited Aldi, Auchan, Carrefour, Casino, Cora, Dia, Leclerc and Lidl stores in 24 French departments in May and June and found what it calls mass-produced "lookalikes". Only 38% of consumers who took part in tests were happy with their taste.

A real cœur de bœuf tomato is, as its name suggests, heart-shaped, feels heavy and dense but has a less firm skin than other varieties. Its colour can be anything from scarlet to yellow, orange or green.

CLCV has called on France's anti-fraud watchdog DGCCRF to investigate further, and publish details of any sanctions it issues.