The Brazilian Ministry of Justice has accused Unilever, Nestle and PepsiCo of reducing the weight of certain products without cutting packaging size or alerting consumers to the change.
In a statement this week, the Ministry, through the Department of Consumer Protection, revealed it has launched administrative cases against the companies.
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Amaury Oliva, director of the consumer protection watchdog, said the food makers failed to communicate the “reduction of product” size in a “clear and conspicuous” manner, as required by the country’s consumer protection code. The watchdog said it is the duty of the supplier to ensure the consumer is provided with accurate information on the composition of products. Ordinance No. 81/02 MJ states when pack sizes are reduced details should be provided on the “main panel” of the packaging.
The products in question include a range from Unilever, Nestle’s Chocolover ice cream and PepsiCo’s Quaker Oats.
Companies will have ten days to file a defence and, if convicted, can be fined “more than” BRL7.9m, the department suggested.
According to a report from local publication Telesur Nestle and PepsiCo, alongside Mexican bakery Grupo Bimbo, could also be facing fines over a 2010 investigation which detected the undeclared presence of genetically modified organisms in their products. In 2003 Brazil introduced a requirement for products containing GMOs to carry a warning label.
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By GlobalDataRepresentatives for the Ministry of Justice, Unilever, Nestle, PepsiCo and Bimbo did not immediately respond to request for comment.
