Hungry Jack's hit with $150k fines for breaching button battery rules in Garfield toy
The competition watchdog on Tuesday said it issued Hungry Jack's with eight infringement notices after a Garfield toy was sold nationwide with its children's meals.
While the Garfield toy complied with the button battery safety standard, it did not advise customers it contained button batteries, provide relevant warnings about the potentially fatal hazards they posed, or advice on what to do if ingested.
The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission said that breached Australian consumer law by failing to comply with the mandatory button battery information standard.
Hungry Jack's supplied 27,850 Garfield toys with its children's meals between May 20 and 30 last year. It has paid $150,240 in penalties.
'Button batteries are extremely dangerous for young children and, tragically, children have been seriously injured or died from swallowing or ingesting them,' ACCC deputy chair Catriona Lowe said.
'The ACCC continues to see non-compliant products on the market which pose unacceptable safety risks to vulnerable young children.
'We take non-compliance with these important standards seriously and will not hesitate to take enforcement action where appropriate.'
The ACCC has also accepted a court-enforceable undertaking from Hungry Jack's in which it admitted the Garfield toy was likely to have failed to comply with the button battery information standard.
Hungry Jack's recalled the toy last June.
Hungry Jack's has been contacted for comment.
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