New Delhi, August 31, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
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, over an allegedly misleading “wholewheat” claim used in the marketing of McVitie’s Wholewheat Marie Biscuits.
The action relates to allegations of misleading advertising and unfair trade practices concerning the composition and presentation of the product.
The CCPA took suo motu cognisance of a social media article questioning the product’s claims and ingredients and subsequently examined its packaging and online listings.
According to the CCPA order, the ingredient declaration showed that whole wheat flour constituted 19.5 per cent of the biscuits, while refined wheat flour, or maida, accounted for 52 per cent.
The authority observed that the prominent use of “wholewheat” in the product name could lead an average consumer to believe that whole wheat flour was the predominant ingredient. 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 biscuits were marketed under the name “McVitie’s Wholewheat Marie Biscuits” despite containing 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 “wholewheat” primarily served as a brand identifier.
The company also cited a disclaimer on the front of the packaging stating that “wholewheat” was “only a trademark” and did not represent the product’s true nature.
United Biscuits maintained that the term was intended to distinguish the product from biscuits made exclusively with regular refined wheat flour and that the name differentiated it from conventional Marie biscuits.
The company subsequently offered to modify its packaging by removing the word “wholewheat” from the registered trademark. It also sought a nine-month transition period to use its existing packaging material before introducing the revised packs.
FOLLOW NOW
