New Delhi, June 21 (IANS) The Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) has imposed penalties of Rs 1 lakh each on Storia Foods and Beverages Pvt Ltd and Mrs. Bectors Food Specialities Limited (English Oven) for misleading advertisements and unfair trade practices related to the use of ‘100 per cent’ claims on food products, according to an official statement released on Sunday.

The consumer watchdog has directed both companies to immediately discontinue the disputed claims from their product packaging, websites and digital platforms, the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution said.

The action was taken under the Consumer Protection Act, 2019, and the Guidelines for Prevention of Misleading Advertisements and Endorsements for Misleading Advertisements, 2022.

In a statement, the government said the expression ‘100 per cent’ is a precise and absolute numerical claim that cannot be used loosely, approximately or merely as a marketing slogan.

According to the authority, any such claim must accurately reflect the actual composition of a product and should be interpreted in its plain and literal sense by an ordinary consumer.

The CCPA took suo motu cognisance of advertisements by Storia Foods relating to products marketed as ‘100 per cent Tender Coconut Water’ and ‘100 per cent Juice’ variants, including pomegranate, mixed fruit, mango and guava chilli flavours.

The products were advertised through the company’s website, product packaging and leading e-commerce platforms.

The watchdog found that Storia’s ‘100 per cent Tender Coconut Water’ was prepared using coconut water concentrate reconstituted with water, while the product label also disclosed the presence of preservative INS 202.

The authority held that an ordinary consumer would reasonably understand the claim to mean the product consisted entirely of natural tender coconut water.

Similarly, the CCPA observed that several juice products marketed as ‘100 per cent Juice’ contained water, fruit concentrates and other ingredients, making the claims misleading regarding the products’ actual composition.

In a separate case, the authority examined English Oven advertisements carrying claims such as ‘100 per cent Atta Bread’ and ‘100 per cent Whole Wheat Bread’ across print, digital and social media platforms.

During the proceedings, the company admitted that the products contained 87 per cent whole wheat flour.

The CCPA held that a product containing 87 per cent whole wheat flour could not be advertised as ‘100 per cent Atta’ or ‘100 per cent Whole Wheat’.

In addition, the authority noted that the simultaneous use of claims such as ‘100 per cent Whole Wheat Bread’ and ‘Zero Maida’ created a misleading impression that the bread consisted entirely of whole wheat flour and contained no other ingredients.

Rejecting the company’s defence that the claim merely referred to wheat being the sole grain source, the CCPA said advertisements must be assessed from the perspective of a reasonable consumer and that post-facto technical explanations cannot override the impression created by marketing claims.

The government reiterated that all claims relating to composition, quality, nutrition or health benefits must be truthful, verifiable and non-deceptive, adding that it will continue to take strict action against misleading advertisements that compromise consumers’ right to informed choice.

–IANS

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