Sensodyne ordered to stop misleading ads. Consumer body CCPA slaps ₹10 lakh fine

The CCPA said the company did not produce any cogent study or material to substantiate claims made in the advertisements or indicate any worldwide prominence of Sensodyne products.

NEW DELHI: The central consumer protection authority (CCPA), a top statutory body, has banned ads of Sensodyne, a toothpaste brand, for marketing it with the labels “recommended by dentists worldwide” and “world’s No 1 sensitivity toothpaste”, imposing a fine of ₹10 lakh, the government said in a statement on Tuesday.

Sensodyne manufacturer GSK Consumer Healthcare said the matter is sub-judice. “We are a responsible and compliant company, committed to the welfare of our consumers and our products conform to the highest quality standards,” the company said. (Sensodyne)

The authority, set up under the Consumer Protection Act, 2019, rejected responses submitted by Sensodyne’s manufacturers to validate these two claims. Another claim in the toothpaste’s branding, “works in 60 seconds” is under investigation by the assistant drug controller, state licensing authority, Silvassa in Dadra and Nagar Haveli because that is the appropriate scientific body to evaluate the claim, the consumer affairs ministry said, citing the CCPA order.

Sensodyne is a toothpaste for oral sensitivity, a painful condition caused by damaged gums, owned by GSK Consumer Healthcare, which also sells brands such as Eno (acidity-relief product), Crocin (paracetamol) and Otrivin (a nasal decongestant). GSK is one of India’s oldest healthcare companies.

“‘The matter is sub-judice. We are a responsible and compliant company, committed to the welfare of our consumers and our products conform to the highest quality standards,” GSK Consumer Healthcare spokesperson said in a statement.

The CCPA asked Sensodyne to validate its claims “Recommended by dentists worldwide”, “World’s No. 1 sensitivity toothpaste” and “clinically proven relief, works in 60 seconds”.

Sensodyne’s makers submitted two market surveys in support of its claims, the CCPA statement said.

The claims -- “Recommended by dentists worldwide” and “World’s No.1 sensitivity toothpaste” -- were made based on surveys “only with dentists in India”, the CCPA order said. “No cogent study or material was submitted by the company to substantiate the claims made in the advertisements or indicate any worldwide prominence of Sensodyne products. Thus, the claims were observed to be bereft of any reason or justification,” the order said.