The Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) has imposed a penalty of Rs 1 lakh on Britannia Industries Ltd for misleading consumers by advertising its bread as “100% Whole Wheat Bread” when whole wheat flour accounted for only around 62 per cent of the finished product.In an order dated October 22, the consumer watchdog directed the company to discontinue the advertisement with immediate effect across print, electronic and social media. It also asked Britannia to submit a compliance report within 15 days.The CCPA took suo motu cognisance of the matter after finding a discrepancy between the prominent “100% Whole Wheat Bread” claim and the product’s declared composition. The order noted that the bread contained around 62 per cent whole wheat flour, while the remaining portion comprised water, yeast, wheat bran and other ingredients.Rejecting the company’s defence, the authority said the use of “100%” conveyed the impression that the entire product was made of whole wheat, rather than indicating that only its flour component was unadulterated whole wheat flour.Britannia had argued that the claim referred to the flour used in the bread and that the product contained no refined wheat flour, commonly known as maida. It also relied on a qualification on the packaging stating, “Made From 100% Whole Wheat Flour. On Flour Basis”.However, the CCPA held that the smaller-print qualification could not override the prominent claim on the packaging. “The advertisements had to be assessed from the perspective of an ordinary consumer and the overall impression they created, rather than the interpretation intended by the advertiser,” the regulator said in a statement. The authority also referred to food safety regulations prescribing a minimum whole wheat flour content of 75 per cent for a product to be labelled “Whole Wheat Bread”. It found that the product’s declared composition did not meet this threshold.The proceedings followed an investigation into promotional claims made on Britannia’s website and social media platforms, including YouTube, Facebook and Instagram. The authority examined six claims initially, dropping three from further consideration while scrutinising the remaining claims involving the use of “100%”.The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) had also raised concerns over the use of the term “100%” in food labelling and advertisements and issued an advisory in May 2025 asking food businesses to discontinue such claims.The CCPA concluded that the disputed representation amounted to misleading advertising and an unfair trade practice under the Consumer Protection Act, 2019.The order underscores the regulator’s position that food companies must ensure that prominent product claims accurately reflect composition and do not mislead consumers, even when additional qualifications appear elsewhere on the packaging.