A company that imported royal jelly from China, while passing it off as being made locally has been fined $15,000.
New Zealand Natural Care Products Ltd entered two pleas of guilty in the Auckland District Court on Tuesday to breaches of the Fair Trading Act.
The Commerce Commission brought the prosecution after royal jelly, a bee product, was sold in the company's Auckland store with no link to China on the labelling.
It says the only ingredients from New Zealand were water and capsules.
Royal jelly from New Zealand is believed to be a higher quality than overseas products. It is sold at a premium price.
The commission says misleading country of origin labelling harms consumers and also competitors who have correctly labelled their products.
