Zero maida: Britannia ordered to stop misleading ads saying its bread is '100% whole wheat' because atta made up only around 62% of the finished product

Britannia Industries has been ordered to discontinue advertisements claiming its bread is “100% Whole Wheat Bread” after the Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) found the representation misleading, noting that whole wheat flour accounts for only around 62% of the finished product. In an order dated October 22, 2026, CCPA rejected Britannia's argument that the claim referred to the flour component rather than the entire loaf. It directed the company to withdraw the advertisements immediately across print, electronic and social media, pay a penalty and submit a compliance report within 15 days.

Why CCPA objected to Britannia's bread label

CCPA examined Britannia's product packaging, website and social media promotions. The investigation found that wheat flour (atta) accounted for around 62% to 62.5% of the finished product, with the remaining composition including water, yeast, wheat bran and other permitted ingredients.

The authority said an ordinary consumer could understand “100% Whole Wheat Bread” to mean the finished product was entirely made from whole wheat. The ingredient declaration elsewhere on the packaging did not adequately correct this impression.


The packaging also carried a qualifying statement, “Made From 100% Whole Wheat Flour. On Flour Basis”, linked to the main claim through a symbol. CCPA said the qualifier appeared in a substantially smaller font and was not prominent enough to clarify the principal claim.

What Britannia argued

Britannia told CCPA that its bread used whole wheat flour as its flour ingredient and did not contain other flour varieties, including refined wheat flour, commonly known as maida.

The company argued that “100%” referred to the flour component, not every ingredient in the finished product. It maintained that its entire flour component was whole wheat flour, making the claim justified when calculated on a flour basis.

Britannia also cited nutritional information declaring 0.6g of saturated fat and 4.4g of dietary fibre per 100g of bread to support its claims concerning low saturated fat and dietary fibre.

During a hearing on October 12, 2026, the company reiterated that the wording was intended to convey the absence of maida. It also argued that an FSSAI advisory against using “100%” on food labels was advisory rather than mandatory.

CCPA rejected the defence, saying a manufacturer's intended meaning could not override how an ordinary consumer would understand the claim.

Why the 75% whole wheat rule matters

The order referred to Regulation 2.6 under the Food Safety and Standards (Labelling and Display) framework, which prescribes a minimum whole wheat flour content of 75% for a product to be labelled “Whole Wheat Bread”.

CCPA said the threshold did not justify an absolute 100% claim without clear substantiation. It also rejected Britannia's interpretation that the claim could be calculated only within the flour component.

The authority said such reasoning could allow even a product containing a small proportion of atta to be promoted as 100% atta bread simply because it contained no maida.

CCPA further observed that displaying “100% Whole Wheat” alongside “No Maida” reinforced the impression that the product consisted entirely of whole wheat flour.

FSSAI had also flagged the claim

The investigation report referred to FSSAI's observations that the “100% Whole Wheat Bread” claim was misleading, ambiguous and open to misinterpretation.

FSSAI issued an advisory on May 28, 2025, asking food business operators to discontinue the use of “100%” on food labels, packaging and promotional material. An improvement notice followed on July 30, 2026, directing Britannia to remove descriptions such as “100% Atta” and “100% Whole Wheat”.

Britannia said it had initiated steps to remove the claim. However, the investigation found that the wording continued to appear on its website and other promotional channels.

CCPA acknowledged that the company had started changing the product's name in some places to “Zero Maida Whole Wheat Bread”. It said partial changes did not remove liability for the period during which the disputed claims remained in use.

What happens next

CCPA concluded that Britannia's representations violated provisions of the Consumer Protection Act, 2019, concerning misleading advertisements, unfair trade practices and consumers' right to accurate information.

The authority also scrutinised the claim that the bread “pairs perfectly well with a healthy diet”, saying it could create an impression about the product's nutritional attributes and dietary suitability, particularly alongside comparisons with roti.

CCPA directed Britannia to discontinue the misleading advertisements immediately across print, electronic and social media, pay a penalty and submit a compliance report within 15 days of the order.

The order does not specify the penalty amount. Under Section 21 of the Consumer Protection Act, 2019, CCPA can impose a penalty of up to Rs 10 lakh for a first contravention and up to Rs 50 lakh for subsequent contraventions.

The authority said food labels and advertisements must provide clear, accurate information so consumers can make informed purchasing decisions. A prominent claim on the front of a package, it held, cannot be corrected by a qualification printed in small, difficult-to-read text.