WA-based business Spencers is the latest company found to have misled consumers on what's really in their oregano bags, as the consumer watchdog continued its blitz on the product.
The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission on Monday announced there was a "substantial presence of olive leaves" in Spencer's oregano.
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The news followed an announcement in November that Aldi's Stonemill oregano and the Menora oregano available at IGA and other independent stores also contained a "substantial presence" of olive leaves.
All the companies have made court-enforceable undertakings to have their oregano tested annually, as well as random samples of their other herbs and spices, for the next three years.
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The ACCC had also agreed to "administrative resolutions" with smaller suppliers of "G Fresh Oregano Leaves "Mediterranean", "Master of Spices Oregano Leaves" and "Spice & Co. Oregano Leaves" to ensure they cease supply of adulterated products and confirm the authenticity of future supply.
Spencers sold 100,000 packets of oregano to West Australians in 2015.
Managing director David Clapin said in a statement the company prided itself on supplying authentic herbs and spices and had "at all times applied stringent quality checks" to its supply chain.
"It would seem (subject to further testing) that Spencers General Trading may have unknowingly on sold product that was not to specification," he said.
"We have made immediate contact with our supplier of the product to investigate and trace product that may be out of specification. We have withheld any further sales of Spencers Oregano pending further testing and certification.
"We apologise to concerned consumers.
"It is important to note that the product is safe for consumption and does not pose any health risks but we understand the disappointment consumers may feel."
The ACCC is continuing its investigation into oregano traders, initiated after a complaint from consumer advocate Choice.
Choice had carried out a spot check, testing dried oregano products from 12 different brands sold in Perth, Sydney and Melbourne after a study in the UK reported a similar problem with the herb, and found that only five were 100 per cent oregano.
"Ingredients other than oregano made up between 50 per cent and 90 per cent of the adulterated samples," Choice reported.
"It's important to note that we tested just one sample of a single batch from each brand, so the results aren't necessarily representative of each of those individual brands and companies' whole range of oregano products."
Other products subject to such uncertainty have included saffron and cumin.
Which?, the UK equivalent of Choice, has reported that herbs are vulnerable to food fraud as the rising demand for the product put the agricultural supply under pressure, and the fact that they were often chopped or ground made sight identification harder.
"There are potential safety issues associated with the adulteration and fraudulent labelling of products, as highlighted by the incidents of cumin adulteration in the US in the past 18 months – although hopefully there's no safety risk to consumers from the adulteration of oregano," Choice reported.
"Hoyts told us that it was co-operating with the ACCC investigation. At the time of publication we hadn't received a response from any of the other companies affected."