According to an official statement, the Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) has passed an order against deceptive advertisements of Sensodyne products which claim to be “recommended by dentists worldwide” and “the world’s No. 1 sensitivity toothpaste”. Is. Earlier on 9 February, the authority had directed GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) Consumer Healthcare to stop advertising of Sensodyne products which show endorsement by foreign dentists. The CCPA had also directed GSK to pay a fine of Rs 10 lakh, the consumer affairs ministry said in a statement on Tuesday.
The authority initiated automatic action against various social media platforms and advertisements running on television showing dentists endorsing the use of Sensodyne products outside India (in the UK) – namely Sensodyne Rapid Relief and Sensodyne Fresh. Gel – to protect against tooth sensitivity. The ministry said in a statement that in accordance with an earlier order passed by the CCPA, advertisements showing endorsement by foreign dentists have been ordered to be discontinued.
Is Sensodyne “recommended by dentists around the world”?
The commercials claim that Sensodyne is “recommended by dentists around the world”, “the world’s No. 1 sensitivity toothpaste” and “clinically proven relief, works in 60 seconds”, according to the statement.
The CCPA, after examining the feedback submitted by the company regarding the advertisements, found that the two market surveys submitted by the company in support of its claims – ‘recommended by dentists worldwide’ and ‘the world’s No. 1 sensitivity toothpaste’ – were the only Organized with Dentists in India. “No substantive studies or materials were presented by the Company to substantiate the claims made in advertisements or to indicate any worldwide prominence of Sensodyne products. Thus, the claims were found to be devoid of any reason or justification, CCPA observed.
With regard to the claim ‘Clinically Proven Relief, Works in 60 Seconds’, the CCPA wrote to the Drug Controller General of India, the Central Drugs Standard Control Organization (CDSCO), to submit its comments on the veracity of the claims. According to the company’s statement.
Drugs regulator CDSCO has directed the Assistant Drug Controller, Licensing Authority, Silvassa to examine the claims made by the company as the product in question is manufactured under a cosmetic license granted by the state licensing authority, Silvassa.
The Assistant Drug Controller has written to the CCPA that the claims made by the company are being investigated and further action will be initiated after the hearing process, the statement said.
Strict action against misleading advertisements
In the wake of consumer sensitivities around the COVID-19 pandemic, the CCPA took strong action against misleading advertisements, with 13 companies withdrawing their advertisements and 3 companies placing corrective advertisements.
To protect consumer interests against deceptive advertising and unfair trade practices, the CCPA has also issued two advisories. The first advisory was issued on January 20, 2021, asking industry stakeholders to refrain from making misleading claims that take advantage of the COVID-19 pandemic situation and are not supported by any competent and credible scientific evidence. . The second advisory was issued on October 1, 2021, highlighting compliance with the provisions of the Consumer Protection (E-Commerce) Rules, 2020, whereby every marketplace e-commerce entity shall be provided with a license by the seller under Rule 6. All information needs to be prominently displayed. (5) The name, designation and contact information of the grievance officer of the seller.
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