LAHORE (PPI) - The Network for Consumer Protection had approached CCP in respect of an advertisement sponsored by Tetra Pak with a concern that it might contravene the provisions relating to deceptive marketing practices. The advertisement stated that for generations we have boiled milk at home, thinking that boiling makes milk safe for drinking. However, a recent research by PCSIR has proven that boiling milk for an extended period not only reduces the nutrition of naturally present B-Vitamin by up to 36% but also does not eliminate all the germs. The OFT department of CCP, established in 2008, is mainly responsible for dealing with deceptive marketing practices covered by Section 10 of the Competition Ordinance, 2010. CCP through the OFT directed Tetra Pak and PCSIR to provide the studies on which the advertisement was based so that CCP could verify the assertions made in the advertisement. Upon review and analysis, the OFT found that although the studies sponsored by Tetra Pak and conducted by PCSIR concluded that boiling reduces the content of naturally present B-Vitamin in milk and does not eliminate all germs, it does not in any manner conclude that boiled milk is unsafe for drinking. However, Tetra Pak has agreed with the view taken by OFT that the advertisement may give the impression that milk boiled at home is not safe for drinking and such fact is not based on the findings of the studies conducted by PCSIR. As an effort to resolve the matter and to eliminate any potential risk of misleading information, Tetra Pak provided an undertaking to CCP that in case it runs the advertisement in the future, it shall not use the statement For generations we have boiled milk at home, thinking that boiling makes milk safe for drinking. Tetra Pak has made this commitment to satisfy CCPs concern and for clarification purposes of public at large. Meanwhile, the Competition Commission of Pakistan (CCP) issued a show cause notice to Cinepax Limited for tying the sale of cinema ticket with food coupons between September 2009 and April 2010, prima facie violating Section 3(1) read with Section 3(2) and 3(3)(c) of the Competition Ordinance 2010. The show cause notice gives Cinepax fourteen days to submit a written reply and orders the former to appear before the Commission on 16 August 2010. Earlier, the Commission had taken suo moto notice of the alleged tying and had initiated an enquiry under Section 37(1) of the Ordinance. The enquiry was concluded with the submission of a report which held that Cinepax Limited held a dominant position in the market of multiplex and high-end cinemas in the twin cities of Islamabad and Rawalpindi and had prima facie abused its dominance by making the purchase of a fifty rupees coupon mandatory with the purchase of every cinema ticket. The enquiry report had recommended that Section 30 proceedings against Cinepax Limited should be initiated. The Commission has been empowered by the Competition Ordinance 2010 to ensure that no anti-competitive practices take place in Pakistans economy. Such practices include the tying of two unrelated products by a dominant undertaking. Tying takes away choice of the consumers and enables the dominant undertaking in one market to unjustly benefit from another market without fairly competing in the latter. The Commission has been extremely active in curbing such anti-competitive activities. In June 2008, the Commission had ordered a leading business school to cease from tying educational services with mandatory purchase of laptops and to reimburse students in this regard. Similarly, in July 2008 the Commission had ordered a leading telecom service provider to cease from tying its telephony and internet services on its smart phones beyond a reasonable period of time.