Riedel versus Zwiesel: who will shatter first?

Published: 23 July, 2008

Zwiesel Kristallglas AG claims that rival glass company Riedel, Nachtmann and Spiegelau has misrepresented the facts of a dispute over marketing material in a recent statement to the industry.

The statement from the Riedel Group announced that Zwiesel had agreed to stop publishing claims that its glassware is more shatter-proof, harder and more dish-washing proof than any other glass in the world in its marketing material, following tests and analyses conducted by scientific institutes which have disproved any such claims made by Zwiesel Kristallglas AG in connection with their "Tritan Glass"'.

The declaration from the Riedel Group concludes: This statement protects the consumer by calling for clarification of this false and misleading publicity.'

In response, Zwiesel has issued a countering statement, which claims the information supplied by Riedel is misleading.

Ian Bailey, director of ADI Trading, which represents Zwiesel in the UK, told Harpers: The statement from the Riedel Group is misleading with a mission. The claim that our glasses are less durable is based on two tests carried out by Spiegelau, whereas we have conducted different tests which have shown Riedel glass to be weaker.

We had started to work together to develop a set of standard testing practices that would take different production techniques into account but they withdrew their support with no explanation.'

The official statement from Zwiesel added: We wonder why a company might be afraid of utilising a neutral, standardised set of tests which would assist the industry as a whole.'

Bailey also stated that although marketing material from Zwiesel, which contains the disputed information, will change in line with planned alterations in 2007, Zwiesel has made no retraction of any of its claims regarding the proven characteristics of the patented Triton technology'.

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