Another small business has complained of Woolworths copying its product – this time it's a nutrition bar. But the retailer has denied the claims, saying it started developing its product years before ever meeting the entrepreneur, Fin24 reports. Last week Woolworths was in the spotlight after founder and designer of Ubuntu Baba baby carriers Shannon McLaughlin blogged about how the retailer copied her product.

Following an investigation, and a meeting with McLaughlin, Woolworths issued a statement indicating that there were 'striking similarities' between the products and has since removed the baby carriers from stores. Now Lara Mare, the co-founder of RUSH Nutrition, claims that Woolworths copied her product following her interactions with the retailer, which she says dates back to 2013.

She and her partner approached Woolworths in 2013 with the hopes to be a supplier, she said. 'We met with a product developer and a food technologist. It was the most promising and encouraging meeting,' Mare recalled.

However, Woolworths did not pursue the business relationship further.

In 2015, Mare says she was alerted via customers on social media about the similarities between her product and Woolworths's new offering, RAW.

Having met with one of Woolworths's representatives on the matter, Mare said she was told the product was not copied.

Woolworths said that it investigated the claim when she first raised it with them in 2015 and had engaged with RUSH Nutrition at the time. 'We did not copy this product,' Woolworths said via e-mail. The retailer said it started developing its RAW snack bar back in October 2010, before RUSH engaged with it.

Full Fin24 report