CCPA Fines Britannia ₹1 Lakh Over “100% Whole Wheat” Bread Ads

The order

• The order is dated 22 October 2026 (some reports say 21 October). It imposes ₹1 lakh on Britannia Industries. (Source: LawStreet) (Source: Bar & Bench)
• Whole wheat flour made up about 62.5% of the finished loaf. So the “100%” claim was misleading. (Source: LawStreet)
• Britannia must stop the ads in print, electronic and social media. (Source: LawStreet) (Source: Bar & Bench)
• It must file a compliance report within 15 days. (Source: LawStreet) (Source: Bar & Bench)

Fine print against a bold claim

Britannia said its claim was true “on flour basis”. Seen that way, the flour used was all whole wheat. The rest of the loaf was water, yeast, salt and other items.

The CCPA did not accept this. A buyer sees the bold words on the front of the pack. A buyer does not usually read the small print.

So a small disclaimer cannot override a bold front-of-pack claim. The test is how an ordinary consumer reads the ad. (Source: LawStreet) (Source: Bar & Bench)

The food regulator moved first

• An improvement notice was served on 30 July 2026. (Source: LawStreet)
• FSSAI had also advised against “100%” claims in 2025. (Source: LawStreet)

The two bodies do different jobs. FSSAI sets food standards. The CCPA acts when a claim misleads consumers. One product can face both.

Section 21 and the 2022 guidelines

The Consumer Protection Act, 2019, created the CCPA. Section 21 deals with misleading ads. The CCPA can order a firm to stop or change an ad. It can also penalise the manufacturer or the endorser.

• The penalty can go up to ₹10 lakh for a first offence.
• It can go up to ₹50 lakh for each later offence.
• An endorser can be barred for up to one year. For repeat offences the bar can run to three years.

The Guidelines for Prevention of Misleading Advertisements, 2022, add a disclaimer rule. A disclaimer may explain a claim. It may not contradict it or hide a key condition.

Earlier fines

• June 2026. The CCPA fined Mrs Bectors Food Specialities ₹1 lakh over “100% Atta” claims for English Oven bread. Labels showed 73% and 87% wheat in two variants. (Source: Bar & Bench)

The pattern is clear. The CCPA now checks “100%” and “number one” type claims. Firms that cannot prove them are fined.

Three things to remember

• The body: the Central Consumer Protection Authority, set up under the 2019 Act.
• The test: how an ordinary consumer reads the ad, not the small print.
• The split: FSSAI sets food standards. The CCPA polices misleading claims.