ISLAMABAD (March 09 2010): The Competition
Commission of Pakistan (CCP), while taking
notice of an advertisement on boiled milk
has issued notices to Pakistan Council of
Scientific and Industrial Research (PCSIR)
and a leading packing company. "The
commission has sought information from the
PCSIR as well as the packing company
regarding the basis of the claim made in the
relevant advertisement," this was informed
by the CCP to The Network, which brought the
issue to the notice of CCP through a letter.
The letter was prompted by advertisements in
the local electronic and print media, in
which a leading packing using a research by
the PCSIR, had contended that the use of
boiled milk that is commonly used in almost
every house, was not good for health, said
Dr Arif Azad, Executive Co-ordinator of The
Network for Consumer Protection.
The advertisement asserted that the milk
boiled in a domestic kitchen not only
reduces the nutrition of naturally present B
vitamins by up to 36 percent but also fails
to completely eliminate the germs. "But the
claim runs against the practice of hundreds
of years of using boiled milk in homes
without any major health problem," Dr Azad
said.
He said such company is involved in business
of packed milk and is a market rival of
traditional milk sellers. "On one hand this
advertisement is misleading for the
consumers, as it prevents them from using
the boiled milk on flimsy grounds while on
the other hand, it influences the innocent
consumers to buy packed milk, instead of
unpacked milk," he added.
He said The Network in its letter had
pointed out that it also dishes out false
and misleading information that may harm the
business interest of other market
competitors like open milk sellers, and it
is also a clear violation of section 10 of
Competition Commission of Pakistan Ordinance
2009, he elaborated. The Executive Co-ordinator
feared such advertisements are likely to
mislead consumers about different varieties
of milk available in the market due to which
The Network took the plea in the letter.
Dr Azad welcomed the immediate action by the
CCP and hoped that the matter will be fully
investigated as the advertisement is likely
to mislead the consumers and restrict their
right to accurate information about
different products and the right to choose
the product based on correct information.
"We hope the CCP and other institutions will
ensure that such advertisements, which puts
the underprivileged sections of the society
like milkmen at clear disadvantage and take
away the right of choice from the people,
will not re-appear," he said.
Copyright Associated Press, 2010
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