ACCC investigating Thermomix over injuries to owners after FOI request by News Corp Australia

NATION’S consumer cops probe kitchen appliance Thermomix over injuries to owners — and the firm’s attempts to silence them.

Thermomix in Australia and its manufacturer Vorwerk are in the sights of the ACCC.

EXCLUSIVE

CONSUMER cops are investigating Thermomix over injuries to owners — and attempts to silence them.

The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission yesterday confirmed it was scrutinising “safety concerns and reports of confidentiality requirements” after News Corp Australia learnt of the official probe using freedom of information laws.

About 300,000 Australians own a Thermomix. Most are ardent advocates for the food processors, which cost about $2000.

However, in May this year the consumer group Choice sent the ACCC a report cataloguing 83 incidents involving TM31s and four about the newer TM5.

Choice said at least 18 people needed medical treatment after being hurt using a Thermomix and that the supplier should have made 10 mandatory notifications to the ACCC, which is the national product safety regulator.

Choice also raised concerns about the use of nondisclosure agreements.

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It called on the ACCC to launch an investigation and it can now be revealed the ACCC already had.

“The ACCC has been investigating this matter in relation to reported safety concerns and reports of confidentiality requirements since March 2016,” a spokeswoman told News Corp Australia. “Safety concerns have been reported in relation to both the TM31 and the TM5.”

After Choice sent the “mass incident report”, News Corp Australia asked the ACCC how many mandatory notifications had been made.

The ACCC said it couldn’t say how many because the supplier, Thermomix in Australia Pty Ltd (TiA) and the German manufacturer, Vorwerk, wanted the information kept confidential. Many other companies allow the ACCC to disclose information about safety notifications.

So, in late May, News Corp Australia requested under the Freedom of Information Act details of all Thermomix notifications as well as correspondence between the ACCC and the two companies since the start of 2014.

Seventeen documents matched the request. The ACCC this week decided it would grant partial access to one.

Still, the “schedule of documents” matching the request shows access to 12 was denied for reasons including “prejudice of ongoing investigation”, thereby revealing Thermomix was in the ACCC’s crosshairs.

Choice spokesman Tom Godfrey said: “It is deeply concerning that vital information about the number and nature of injuries caused by products like the Thermomix TM31 continues to be hidden from public.”

TiA and Vorwerk have hired the crisis management firm Powell Tate to manage their public relations.

It issued a statement on behalf the companies yesterday which said: “The safety, welfare and support of our customers is (sic) and always has (sic) been our highest priority. TiA and Vorwerk are aware of the ACCC investigation. We have always fully co-operated with the relevant authorities and will continue to do so. We do not wish to prejudice the outcome of the review by the ACCC by commenting further at this time.”

In 2014, the ACCC investigated the way the TM5 was launched. Some consumers said they bought the older TM31 in the days before the launch because there was no inkling a superior device was in the offing.

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