The increasing rate of inflation and the increase in exchange rates in recent years have a negative impact on food prices, as they do in all areas of life. We have felt the decrease in purchasing power not only with the price hikes, but also with the changes in the weights of the labels. Lately, the practice of hidden hike has become widespread by keeping the product package price constant and reducing the weight of the product in the package.
Last February, a new regulation was made in the Commercial Advertising and Unfair Commercial Practices Regulation with the title ‘Deceptive Commercial Practices’. With the regulation, it was announced that although changes are made in one of the items, length, weight, area, volume measurements and similar elements in a way to differentiate the unit price of a product offered to consumers, misleading packaging practices that give the impression that no change has been made will be penalized. When it was determined that a ketchup brand was selling 390 grams of products in a 400-gram package, the company was fined.
Hidden raise cost 114 thousand liras
It has been determined that a famous ketchup brand packs 10 grams less than what is stated on its packaging. It has been reported that the product is deceptive to consumers due to the use of labels and packaging. With the information and documents provided by the company, it was determined that the weight of the product, which was 400 grams, was reduced to 390 grams as of April 3, 2021. However, as determined from two separate invoice samples, it was noticed that 400 gram products were offered for sale together with 390 gram products at the same unit price until April 28.
Upon the examination made by the Board of Advertisement, it was decided that the company’s practice was in violation of Articles 61 and 62 of the Law on “Protection of the Consumer” of the Regulation on Commercial Advertising and Unfair Commercial Practices. With the decision, it was reported that a fine of 114 thousand 326 TL and a penalty for stopping the advertisements of the product were imposed on the company.
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