SodaStream changes labelling to ‘Made in the West Bank’ following human rights complaints

Details
Written by Hazel Sheffield , The Independent Hazel Sheffield , The Independent
Published: 07 April 2015 07 April 2015
Hits: 6248 6248

SodaStream has changed the labelling of products made in an Israeli settlement in the industrial zone of Ma’aleh Adumimm to ‘Made in the West Bank’ following complaints from a coalition of human rights activists in the US.

Fair trade activists complained to the Oregon Department of Justice in May 2014 that SodaStream was violating fair trade laws by labelling products made in occupied territory ‘Made in Israel’, according to a report by the Israeli newspaper Haaretz. Under Oregon’s fair trade laws, companies are banned from false advertising and can be held accountable for misleading packaging.

Read more: The bubble bursts for Sodastream
Sodastream pulls out of West Bank
SodaStream shares collapse after company warns of weak results

SodaStream immediately said it would change its labelling when it found out about the complaints. The new labels have since appeared on SodaStream packaging in Oregon stores.

The EU recently began labelling products produced in Israeli-occupied territory in the West Bank because the occupation is considered illegal under international law.

The Ma’aleh Adumim plant, which employs Palestinian workers, will move to Lehavim in Negev region of Israel later in 2015. The company has said the move is for ‘purely commercial’ reasons and not connected to pressure from pro-Palestinian groups.

SodaStream’s revenue has grown an average of 30 per cent a year since 2008, but the company forecast a 9 per cent drop in 2014 as American consumers shifted their interest to more health-conscious brands. In response, SodaStream is launching a line of flavoured waters with low calories and added vitamins and minerals.


Fair Use Notice
This site contains copyrighted material the use of which has not always been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. We are making such material available in our efforts to advance understanding of environmental, political, human rights, economic, democracy, scientific, and social justice issues, etc. We believe this constitutes a 'fair use' of any such copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the US Copyright Law. In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, the material on this site is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes. For more information go to: http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtml . If you wish to use copyrighted material from this site for purposes of your own that go beyond 'fair use', you must obtain permission from the copyright owner.