In a significant move to protect consumer rights, the Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) recently passed an order against Britannia Industries Ltd. for deceptive marketing practices. The regulatory body investigated the company’s prominent advertising claims surrounding its “100% Whole Wheat Bread”.
The Core Violation
The CCPA took suo-moto cognizance of Britannia’s marketing campaigns across various platforms, including their website, YouTube, and social media. The core issue was the discrepancy between the bold “100% Whole Wheat Bread” claim on the front of the packaging and the actual ingredient list, which revealed only 62% whole wheat content
While the Food Safety and Standards Regulations permit the nomenclature “Whole Wheat Bread” if the wheat content is at least 75%, Britannia failed to meet this minimum threshold. Furthermore, the CCPA found that the use of the absolute term “100%” was an exaggeration intended to mislead consumers into believing the product was entirely composed of whole wheat flour without any dilution. The company’s attempt to use a tiny disclaimer on the back of the pack was deemed insufficient to cure the deceptive primary claim.
The Regulatory Outcome
The Court passed the order concluding that Britannia’s practices constituted an unfair trade practice and a misleading advertisement under the Consumer Protection Act, 2019. Consequently, the CCPA directed Britannia to immediately discontinue the misleading advertisements across all media. Additionally, the regulatory body imposed a penalty of ₹1,00,000 on the company for its deceptive marketing strategies.