Australia's competition watchdog is taking Woolworths to court for selling faulty matches, deep fryers and other products.
The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission has launched legal proceedings against the supermarket giant, accusing it of selling products it knew were unsafe.
It said three of its home brand products - the Abode three litre stainless steel deep fryer, Woolworths Select drain cleaner, and safety matches - were sold despite the retailer being aware that they could cause significant injury.
The ACCC also accused the retailer of making misleading claims about the Woolworths Collection padded flop chair and Masters folding stepping stool, both of which could not withstand the maximum weight load stated on their packaging.
Chairman Rod Sims said Woolworths had a responsibility to ensure the goods it sold were safe.
"Consumers are entitled to expect that the goods that they purchase from retailers are safe, and that retailers will act swiftly when product defects are subsequently identified, to avoid further potential harm to consumers," he said.
The offending products have since been recalled but the legal action follows the ACCC's warning that a trend towards sourcing cheaper products overseas had led to a sharp increase in consumer injuries and product recalls.
The matter has been set down for a directions hearing in the Federal Court on November 4.
Woolworths and rival Coles have faced significant scrutiny from the ACCC in recent years, including over the use of fuel vouchers at their petrol stations.
Most recently, the consumer watchdog has accused the company's fuel divisions of colluding with BP, Caltex and 7-Eleven to fix prices.
Woolworths said it was looking into the ACCC's legal action but defended its internal quality and safety checks.
"Woolworths always aims to put customer safety first," the company said in a statement.
"These are serious matters and we will evaluate each claim carefully and respond as appropriate on merit."
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