CCPA Imposes ₹1 Lakh Penalty On Mrs. Bector's For Misleading '100% Atta Bread' And '100% Whole Wheat Bread' Claims

The Bench comprising Chief Commissioner Nidhi Khare and Commissioner Anupam Mishra found that although the company advertised its products as "100% Atta Bread" and "100% Whole Wheat Bread", the impugned product admittedly contained only about 87% whole wheat flour (atta), along with other ingredients. According to the authority, the use of the expression "100%" conveys to an average consumer that the product is entirely composed of whole wheat flour, which was not the case.

During the proceedings, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) clarified that while the Food Safety and Standards (Labelling and Display) Regulations, 2020 require whole wheat bread to contain at least 75% whole wheat flour, the regulations do not permit manufacturers to describe such products as "100% Whole Wheat Bread". FSSAI also stated that the expression "100% Atta Bread" was misleading because the product contained only about 87% whole wheat flour.

The company argued that the “100%” claim was intended only to indicate that wheat flour was the sole grain source used in the bread and that no refined flour (maida) was added. However, the CCPA rejected this explanation, holding that an average consumer would reasonably understand “100% Atta” or “100% Whole Wheat” to mean that the product is wholly composed of wheat flour.

Holding that the impugned claims amounted to misleading advertisements and unfair trade practices under the Consumer Protection Act, 2019, and violated the Guidelines for Prevention of Misleading Advertisements and Endorsements for Misleading Advertisements, 2022, the CCPA directed the company to withdraw the advertisements, pay a penalty of ₹1 lakh and submit a compliance report within 15 days.

Case Number: F. No. CCPA-2/72/2024-CCPA [E-35629]

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