Britannia bread advertisements claiming the product was “100 per cent whole wheat” have drawn a ₹1 lakh penalty from India’s Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA). The authority said the product contained 62 per cent whole wheat and ordered the company to stop the misleading advertisements immediately.

Key Takeaways

  • The CCPA said the 100 per cent whole wheat claim, alongside a 0 per cent maida claim, gave consumers a misleading impression of the bread’s composition.
  • Britannia must submit a compliance report within 15 days of the authority’s October 22, 2026 order.

Why Britannia bread claims were challenged

The CCPA said it took up the matter on its own initiative after observing that the product packaging declared a wheat content of 62 per cent, despite the 100 per cent claim in advertisements.

In its October 22 order, the authority said the whole wheat and 0 per cent maida claims together conveyed that the product was composed entirely of whole wheat flour. It said the remaining 38 per cent included other ingredients such as rice bran.

The authority also said the 62 per cent whole wheat content was below the prescribed threshold for describing the product as “whole wheat.”

Existing rules and compliance order

The CCPA said the Food Safety and Standards (Advertising and Claims) Regulations, 2018, make no provision for using “100 per cent” before “whole wheat.” It also said a false 100 per cent whole wheat claim is misleading under the Consumer Protection Act, 2019.

The decision applies existing rules rather than announcing a new advertising rule. The authority imposed the penalty for misleading advertisements and unfair trade practices, directed Britannia to discontinue the advertisements immediately and requested a compliance report within 15 days.

Next milestone

Britannia’s compliance report is due within 15 days of the October 22 order.

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