New Delhi, Aug 31 (IANS) The Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) has imposed a penalty of Rs 1 lakh on United Biscuits Private Limited, formerly known as Pladis India Private Limited, for allegedly making a misleading “wholewheat” claim while marketing McVitie’s Wholewheat Marie Biscuits.
The order relates to allegations of misleading advertising and unfair trade practices concerning the composition and marketing of the biscuits.
The CCPA took suo motu cognisance of a social media article that questioned the product’s claims and ingredients. The authority subsequently examined the product’s packaging as well as its online listings.
According to the CCPA’s order, the ingredient declaration on the product showed that whole wheat flour accounted for only 19.5 per cent of the biscuits, while refined wheat flour, or maida, constituted 52 per cent.
The authority observed that the prominent use of the term “wholewheat” in the product name could lead an average consumer to believe that the biscuits were predominantly made from whole wheat flour. It concluded that the representation did not accurately reflect the product’s composition.
The Directorate General (Investigation), which was directed by the CCPA to examine the matter, submitted its report on July 16, 2026. The report noted that the product was sold under the name “McVitie’s Wholewheat Marie Biscuits”, despite containing only 19.5 per cent whole wheat flour.
During the proceedings, United Biscuits argued that “McVitie’s Wholewheat Marie Biscuit” was a registered trademark and that the term was being used primarily as a brand identifier. The company also pointed to a disclaimer on the front of the pack stating that the term was “only a trademark” and did not represent the product’s true nature.
The company maintained that “wholewheat” was intended to distinguish the product from biscuits made exclusively with regular refined wheat flour and that the name was adopted to differentiate it from conventional Marie biscuits.
United Biscuits subsequently offered to modify its packaging by removing the word “wholewheat” from the registered trademark. It also sought a nine-month transition period to exhaust its existing packaging material before introducing the revised packaging.
--IANS
pk
