Red Rooster food chain accused of deceiving customers with 'nothing artificial' claims

Roast chicken chain Red Rooster has been accused of deceiving customers with claims its food is free of artificial ingredients and that nuggets are free of preservatives in its latest marketing drive.

The Food Intolerance Network, made up of 10,200 families in Australia and New Zealand, has submitted a complaint to the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission, saying the fast food company is making "misleading and erroneous" claims about its products.

Since September last year, Red Rooster has claimed in advertisements that customers "won't find anything artificial" in its food, it used "100 per cent Australian canola oil", and "chicken nuggets ... are preservative free".

But Howard Dengate, food technologist and co-founder of the Food Intolerance Network, said an analysis of ingredients in popular menu items found many had artificial additives, including preservative 220 sulphur dioxide, which can trigger asthma attacks.