Chennai: Consumer forum asks food company to pay compensation

Chennai: The District Consumer Disputes Redressal Forum, Chennai (North), has directed a leading food product manufacturing company to refund Rs 15,000 for manufacturing and selling a biscuit packet lesser than the declared weight.

In the petition, L. Rajasakar, of Villivakkam, submitted that he purchased five packets of Biscuit “Sunfeast Special Tasty Orange Cream Biscuit” from Shalini Store, Villivakkam, by paying Rs 5 for each packet. After consuming biscuits in two packets, he noticed a packet was in an irregular shape and weight of the packet was lesser than others. The biscuit packet was manufactured by Disha Foods Pvt. Ltd., Hyderabad and packed on September 15, 2012.

He requested the store proprietor to replace the packet with some other regular one, but he refused to replace it and informed him that he sold whatever the company supplied. Rajasakar said Sunfeast biscuit products were owned and marketed by ITC Limited, a leader in food products and this packet  was weighing 36 grams lesser than the regular one. On December 17, 2012, he sent a notice to Disha Foods Pvt. Ltd and the proprietor of Shalini Store.

Stating that companies and retail store were guilty of deficiency in service, unfair and deceptive trade practice and faulty and defective service, he sought direction to them to refund the cost of the biscuit and compensation for mental agony.
In its reply, ITC management submitted that corporate firm was involved in manufacturing FMCG, tobacco, hotels, food and other products. All the products food items were manufactured with utmost care.

It its reply, Disha Foods said it was a Hazard Analysis Critical Control certified by company. It sent a reply requesting him to produce the biscuit packet for analysis. However, there was no reply from him.

The companies submitted that they had not committed deficiency in service and prayed to dismiss the complaint as it was false, frivolous and filed only with ulterior motives to extract money from them.

The bench of its president K. Jayabalan and member T.Kalaiyarasi, said “as the product is having lesser in weight he is entitled for refund of '5, cost of the product.

Further, the bench said due to the deficiency in service by ITC, Disha Foods and Shalini Store, he suffered mental agony and hence, the companies were ordered to pay a compensation of Rs 15,000 including a cost of Rs 5,000 in six weeks.