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Companies mislead consumers by using cheaper veg fat to make ice-cream look-a-like, says Sodhi
Reacting to the court case filed by the multinational FMCG player, Hindustan Unilever Ltd (HUL) regarding an ice-cream ad by the Gujarat Cooperative Milk Marketing Federation Ltd (GCMMF), the latter's top official termed it a collective conspiracy of the profit-oriented companies against the country's milk producers.
GCMMF, which sells milk ice cream and other milk products under the brand name of Amul, issued television ads differentiating milk-based ice creams and frozen desserts, which are sold under the impression of an ice cream. HUL and Ahmedabad-based Vadilal filed a case in the Bombay High Court seeking withdrawal of the ad.
"We have received a legal notice from HUL regarding our latest ad. However, we have done no wrong. Our ad doesn't name any specific brand or company. Our intention is clear to make consumers aware about milk-based ice cream and vegetable oil-based frozen desserts sold under the impression of ice cream," R S Sodhi, managing director, GCMMF told media persons here on Saturday.
According to Sodhi, the move by petitioner companies is a collective conspiring against the milk producers of the country. "They are doing this to pressurise and threaten the milk producers. We are a cooperative operating in the interest of 36 lakh producers. But these companies have profit interest. They use vegetable fat or oil costing Rs 60-70 per kg as key ingredient for frozen dessert whereas dairy fat, which is used for ice cream costs Rs 400 per kg. By using low cost ingredients, these companies are misleading the consumers who are looking for real ice cream," said Sodhi adding that as per FSSAI norms, ice cream must be manufactured using only dairy ingredients as raw material. Others can't claim to be an ice cream.
Notably, the timing of the controversy is indicative as the first quarter of summer, i.e. April-June has the highest - 40-45 per cent sale of the total ice cream sales in the year.
As per the estimates, out of the total organised ice-cream market of Rs 2600-2700 crore, nearly 45 per cent is the frozen dessert.
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