CCPA fines Britannia ₹1 lakh for misleading '100% whole wheat' bread claim

The Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) has imposed a ₹1 lakh penalty on Britannia Industries Ltd for making misleading claims about the wheat content of its bread product. In an order dated October 22, CCPA Chief Commissioner Nidhi Khare directed the company to cease the advertisement with immediate effect across print, electronic, and social media platforms.

The regulator identified a significant discrepancy between the company's marketing claims and actual product composition. While the advertisement prominently featured a "100%" whole wheat claim, the product's packaging declared a wheat content of only 62 per cent. The remaining 38 per cent comprises other ingredients including rice bran and various constituents.

The CCPA took suo motu cognisance of the matter after detecting the misleading assertion. According to the order, the "100%" claim prefixed to the advertisement was prima facie deceptive to consumers. The authority found that the advertisement violated consumer protection norms by misrepresenting the product's composition.

Britannia has been directed to submit a compliance report within 15 days confirming that the deceptive advertisement has been withdrawn from all channels. The penalty underscores regulatory scrutiny on false health and nutritional claims in food product advertising, a growing concern for consumer protection authorities across India.