The Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) has slapped penalties of ₹1 lakh each on Storia Foods and Beverages Pvt Ltd and Mrs. Bectors Food Specialities Limited, the maker of the English Oven bread brand, for running misleading advertisements that used '100 per cent' claims on food products. The orders, issued under the Consumer Protection Act, 2019, were disclosed in an official statement on 21 June by the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution.

Both companies have been directed to immediately withdraw the disputed claims from all product packaging, websites, and digital platforms.

What the CCPA Found Against Storia Foods

The CCPA took suo motu cognisance of advertisements by Storia Foods promoting products labelled as '100 per cent Tender Coconut Water' and '100 per cent Juice' — covering variants such as pomegranate, mixed fruit, mango, and guava chilli — sold through the company's website, product packaging, and leading e-commerce platforms.

Investigators found that the '100 per cent Tender Coconut Water' product was, in fact, prepared from coconut water concentrate reconstituted with water, and the label itself disclosed the presence of preservative INS 202. The authority held that an ordinary consumer would reasonably interpret the claim to mean the product consisted entirely of natural tender coconut water — an impression the actual formulation could not support.

Similarly, the juice variants marketed as '100 per cent Juice' were found to contain water, fruit concentrates, and other added ingredients, rendering the absolute claim inaccurate and misleading.

English Oven's '100% Whole Wheat' Claim Under Scrutiny

In a separate proceeding, the CCPA examined advertisements by English Oven carrying claims such as '100 per cent Atta Bread' and '100 per cent Whole Wheat Bread' across print, digital, and social media platforms.

During the proceedings, the company itself admitted that its bread products contained 87 per cent whole wheat flour — not 100 per cent. The CCPA held that a product with 87 per cent whole wheat content cannot lawfully be advertised as '100 per cent Atta' or '100 per cent Whole Wheat'.

The authority also flagged the simultaneous use of '100 per cent Whole Wheat Bread' alongside 'Zero Maida' as compounding the misleading impression — suggesting to consumers that the bread contained no ingredients other than whole wheat flour.

English Oven's defence — that the claim referred only to wheat being the sole grain source, not the sole ingredient — was rejected. The CCPA ruled that advertisements must be assessed from the standpoint of a reasonable consumer, and that post-facto technical explanations cannot override the impression already created by marketing claims.

The Regulatory Standard on '100 Per Cent' Claims

The CCPA reiterated that the expression '100 per cent' is a precise and absolute numerical claim and cannot be deployed loosely, approximately, or merely as a marketing slogan. Any such claim must accurately reflect the actual composition of a product and must be interpreted in its plain, literal sense.

The action was taken under the Consumer Protection Act, 2019 and the Guidelines for Prevention of Misleading Advertisements and Endorsements, 2022.

Government's Broader Warning to Food Brands

The Ministry of Consumer Affairs reiterated that all claims relating to composition, quality, nutrition, or health benefits must be truthful, verifiable, and non-deceptive. Officials signalled that enforcement action against misleading food advertising will continue, underscoring consumers' right to make informed purchasing decisions.

This comes amid a broader regulatory push by the CCPA against deceptive labelling in the packaged food sector, with several brands having faced scrutiny over health and ingredient claims in recent months. The twin orders against Storia and English Oven are likely to prompt a wider review of '100 per cent' claims across the fast-moving consumer goods industry.