Consumer forum fines Britannia for biscuits packet with less weight

A consumer court here has slapped a Rs 25,000 fine on Britannia Industries for selling biscuit packets weighing less than what was printed on them.
The Ahmedabad branch of Consumer Dispute Redressal Forum also asked the company to deposit the amount with the Consumer Welfare Fund.
Apart from the Rs 25,000 fine, the forum also directed the company to pay Rs 6,000 to complainant Lalji Patel.
Patel had moved the forum after finding that the four biscuit packets he purchased in 2012 weighed less than 122.5 grams, which was printed on them.
He found this after verifying it with a local ISO 9001 certified laboratory.

Patel had contended that all the four packets of biscuits that he purchased weighed less than the printed 122.5 grams. They weighed 104 grams, 112 grams, 114 grams, and 117 grams.

Despite this, the packets were neither replaced nor was he refunded, the complainant contended.
He moved the consumer court which issued notices to the company as well as the dealer and owner of the retail shop on October 20, 2012.
The company had argued that it has "sophisticated manufacturing plant" where the biscuits are packed in order to maintain international standard.
It had said that variation in weight could be caused due to transportation and weather conditions.

The court in its order said that the difference in actual and printed weights on the packets was not negligible and was more than the maximum permissible error and hence came under "unfair trade practise" and malpractice with consumers.