Consumer Watchdog CCPA Penalises Storia Foods And Mrs Bectors For False "100%" Product Claims

The Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) has penalised two food companies for what it found to be misleading use of the expression "100%" on product labels and advertising.

Storia Foods and Beverages and Mrs Bectors Food Specialities, the maker of the English Oven brand, have each been fined ₹1 lakh.

Both companies have also been directed to pull the disputed claims from all product packaging, websites and digital platforms with immediate effect. The action was taken under the Consumer Protection Act, 2019, and the Guidelines for Prevention of Misleading Advertisements and Endorsements for Misleading Advertisements, 2022.

The regulator was clear in its position. The term "100%" is a precise numerical claim that must accurately reflect a product's actual composition. It cannot be used loosely, approximately, or as a marketing slogan, and must correspond exactly with what is in the product.

What Storia Was Selling

The authority examined Storia's "100% Tender Coconut Water" and several juice variants including pomegranate, mixed fruit, mango and guava chilli, all marketed as "100% Juice." On the coconut water product, the regulator found that the drink was actually made from water and coconut water concentrate, reconstituted to be equivalent to 100% coconut water. The word "reconstituted" appeared only in the fine print of the ingredient panel and was not disclosed alongside the headline claim.

The product also contained preservative INS 202, which made the concurrent claim of "100% Natural Tender Coconut Water" untenable, the CCPA said. A reasonable consumer, it noted, would interpret "100% Tender Coconut Water" as a product made entirely from natural tender coconut water, with no concentrates or additives.

On the juice products, the regulator found a similar pattern, with water and varying proportions of fruit concentrates and pulp present in products carrying "100% Juice" claims.

What Mrs Bectors Got Wrong

In the case of Mrs Bectors, the issue centred on its "100% Atta Bread" and "100% Whole Wheat Bread" claims under the English Oven brand. During the proceedings, the company itself acknowledged that its bread products contained 87% whole-wheat flour, not 100%. The CCPA said the expression "100%" leaves no room for approximation and that a product with 87% whole-wheat flour simply cannot carry either label.

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The regulator also flagged the simultaneous use of "100% Whole Wheat Bread" and "Zero Maida" on the packaging, saying the combined messaging could easily give the impression that the bread was made entirely of whole-wheat flour.

The company had argued that "100% Atta" referred to the grain source rather than the overall composition, but the CCPA rejected this, stating that advertisements must be judged from the perspective of a reasonable consumer. Post-facto explanations, it said, cannot override the impression an advertisement creates at the point of purchase.

The CCPA said it will continue to take action against misleading claims about composition, quality, nutrition, and health benefits.

Sources:

NDTV Profit

The Hindu Businessline