ASCI upholds 99 of 136 complaints in February

The maximum violations were in the health and personal care, and education categories.

Advertising Standard Council of India's Consumer Complaints Council (CCC), a self regulatory industry body, announced the number of complaints it upheld in February, 2014. Of the 136 advertising complaints received, CCC found 99 ads guilty of violating ASCI-prescribed codes. Along with the advertisements, product packaging was also found to be misleading in many of the products in the month of February.

ASCI upholds 99 of 136 complaints in February

Most of the complaints, as usual, were in the health and personal care category, followed by education, food and beverages and others for showing misleading, false, inadequate or insufficient data substantiating the claim.

In the health and personal care category, CCC found a whopping 80 advertisements violating ASCI's code. These ads were found to be either misleading or false or not adequately/scientifically substantiated and hence violating ASCI's code. Some of the health care products or services ads also contravened provisions of the Drug & Magic Remedies Act. Some companies that found themselves in this list include Genesis Wellness Clinic, Patanjali Ayurved, Dabur India, Colorbar Cosmetics, Procter & Gamble Hygiene & Health Care, Bioway Health Care Centre, Eureka Labs, Herbal Research Centre, Sri Sanjeevani Ayurvedam, Population Health Services India and Marico.

Under the education category, five advertisers were found to have unsubstantiated claims. The companies include The Institute of Business Accountants, Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University, SMEC Automation, Triumphant Institute of Management Education and Sachdeva College.

The food and beverage category mentioned six advertisements which contravened ASCI's code. The companies include Marico, whose 'Saffola Total' ad claims that it is better than olive oil. It has started an all-out attack on olive oil. This ad appears even after the recent ban on the ads of Saffola Total, denigrating olive oil. The advertisement of Saffola Total claims that 'Saffola Total has 2X anti-oxidant power than olive oil'. The other companies in the category include Surya Food & Agro, ITC, Suman Proteins and Torino.

The other advertisers who were found to have objectionable claims included Naaptol, Pasta Bharat, Genesis Colors, Mahindra & Mahindra, Rupa & Company, Jagran Prakashan, Tractor And Farm Equipment and Power Soaps.

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