This is an archive article published on August 26, 2024
Premium
Cadbury maker ordered to pay Rs 10,000 over damaged chocolates sold in Mysuru
The National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission rejects Mondelez India’s argument that the customer should have raised the matter immediately through its grievance redressal system.
On August 16, the National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission directed the company to pay Rs 10,000 to a consumer who purchased “damaged chocolate unfit for human consumption” from a general store in Mysuru. (Photo: Screengrab)
What is the cost of a Cadbury Crackle chocolate bar? Close to Rs 100 if you buy it from a general store. However, the same chocolate has cost Rs 10,000 to Mondelez India Foods Private Limited, the company manufacturing it.
On August 16, the National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission directed the company to pay Rs 10,000 to a consumer who purchased “damaged chocolate unfit for human consumption” from a general store in Mysuru.
Advertisement
In January 2020, Kumaraswamy purchased four Cadbury Crackle chocolates from the Brindavan general store for Rs 439. After going home, he found out that one of the chocolates was damaged, but the store refused to take back the defective chocolates.
Mondelēz International, one of the world’s largest snack companies that is known for manufacturing chocolates, cookies, and powdered beverages such as Oreo, Cadbury, and Tang, argued before the commission that Kumaraswamy did not produce a sample of the defective chocolate for examination by a food laboratory or by the company itself.
Denying any deficiency, the company said that Kumaraswamy did not use its grievance call system, adding that he should have contacted the company directly so that the defect could have been addressed. The company also cited its rigorous safety protocols to ensure that raw materials are checked thoroughly before packing and dispatching the products to distributors.
Advertisement
Three years ago, the Karnataka State Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission fixed equal liability for negligence on the manufacturer and the general store and ordered them to give Kumaraswamy a new non-defective chocolate.
“It cannot be said that liability is only on the Distributor, not on the Manufacturer, since, till the product reaches the consumer, there is vicarious liability on the Manufacturer also,” the commission had said.
When Mondelez India appealed against the Karnataka order, the National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission held that there were no illegalities in it.
On August 16, the National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission directed the company to pay Rs 10,000 to a consumer who purchased “damaged chocolate unfit for human consumption” from a general store in Mysuru. (Photo: Screengrab) 
Share
