The Hungarian competition authority, known as the Gazdasági Versenyhivatal (GVH), has initiated new competition supervision procedures against three major food retail chains: Spar, ALDI, and Tesco. This action comes after consumer reports raised suspicions about misleading commercial communications regarding certain products advertised as 'whole grain.'

On February 12, 2025, Lidl was fined 186 million forints for misleading consumers about four products it marketed as 'whole grain.' Investigations revealed that the flour used in these baked goods contained only about one-third whole grain flour. This issue is particularly significant in Hungary, where over one million people live with diabetes, making the ingredients of baked goods crucial for their health.

Following the conclusion of the Lidl case, the GVH announced that it would investigate the commercial practices of other market players regarding their 'whole grain' product information. As a result, the authority has now opened three competition supervision procedures against Spar Magyarország Kereskedelmi Kft., ALDI Magyarország Élelmiszer Bt., and TESCO-GLOBAL Áruházak Zrt.

The GVH has observed that these retailers may be engaging in misleading commercial practices in their advertising and naming of certain 'whole grain' baked goods, potentially creating a false impression among consumers regarding the composition of these products, particularly in terms of the proportion of whole grain flour used.

It is important to note that the initiation of these procedures does not imply that the companies have committed any legal violations. The investigations aim to clarify the facts and substantiate the alleged violations. The duration of these procedures is set for three months, which can be extended twice for up to two months each if justified.

The GVH emphasizes that businesses must be mindful of how consumers will interpret their commercial communications and cannot expect consumers to verify the truthfulness of their claims.

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