In a bid to ensure that the central consumer protection authority (CCPA) works in tandem with sectoral regulators and continues to protect consumer rights the authority has written to as many as 6 regulators, wanting them to step in and curb unfair trade practices.
“We have written to the regulators over misleading claims made by several companies and industry players for not delivering what they promised to the consumers, where the advertisements are misleading and need their urgent attention to protect consumer rights.” Nidhi Khare, Chairperson CCPA said.
Talking about the regulators CCPA has approached, Khare shared that the authority has written to “insurance regulator IRDAI regarding health insurance policies, Ayush Ministry regarding Himalayas' face wash and the sale of their Ayurvedic, Siddha, and Unani drugs on eCommerce platforms.”
It was on 15th July, when CCPA had announced guidelines for regulating sales of ayurvedic drugs on e-commerce platforms. These guidelines were put in place to ensure that e-pharmacies and e-commerce portals are not selling drugs containing ingredients listed in Schedule E (1) of the Drugs and Cosmetics Rules, 1945, without updating a valid prescription from a registered practitioner.
“The authority has also asked in its communication to the Central Drugs Standard Control Organization (CDSCO), seeking them to get back to CCPA with a detailed report and analysis on claims made by popular brands like Dettol, Lizol, Emami, Lifebuoy, and Sensodyne,” Khare added.
After taking cognizance of misleading advertisements, On March 22, the CCPA had ordered GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) Consumer Healthcare to discontinue advertisements for Sensodyne which make the claims such as 'recommended by dentists worldwide' and 'world's No.1 sensitivity toothpaste' within seven days and the authority had imposed a Rs 10 lakh penalty.
“Post the legal battle between GSK and CCPA, GSK has finally pulled down their misleading advertisements and has also paid the penalty,” Khare said.
Not just this, “CCPA has also written to the food regulator -- FSSAI on brands such as Boost, which is a milk supplement on the quality and claims promised by the product. We have asked FSSAI to look into consumer complaints of adulteration in honey sold by several brands in the market,” Khare said.
However, she did not share which were these brands, where the authority has received complaints of selling adulterated Honey..
The Consumer Authority has also reached out to the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) on the sale of pressure cookers without an ISI mark, amongst others.
Watch the accompanying video of CNBC-TV18’s Timsy Jaipuria for more details.
First Published: Jul 27, 2022 3:57 PM IST
Check out our in-depth Market Coverage, Business News & get real-time Stock Market Updates on CNBC-TV18. Also, Watch our channels CNBC-TV18, CNBC Awaaz and CNBC Bajar Live on-the-go!
