In a column called Pointless But True, Loaded magazine said that, from 1937 to 1945, the international food firm produced a version of Alphabetti Spaghetti with the pasta moulded into the shape of the Nazi symbol.

It even reproduced what was meant to look like a genuine tin of the product with the label announcing "Heinz Swastika Spaghetti in tomato sauce" with several of the pasta shapes decorating the tin. The brief article also bore a stamp claiming it was "100% true".

But it was not, and legal eagles at Heinz were immediately on the phone on seeing the article's appearance in Loaded's May 2008 edition.
Loaded has now issued an apology to the company, accepting that the article was incorrect.

One Heinz worker, who did not want to be identified, said: "My father fought in the war against the Nazis and to suggest that Heinz were making products that sympathised with that murderous regime is extremely offensive."

A Heinz spokesman said: "Perhaps the article came from one of those weird Internet rumours that are not based on facts. Whatever the origins, the magazine clearly chose not to check the facts and made this completely erroneous claim.

"We carefully track any references to Heinz and, as soon as the article appeared, we were on to Loaded to make a complaint. We are pleased that the magazine has set the record straight."