Leading coffee shop fined Rs. 400,000 for consumer law violations

Colombo, June 11 (Daily Mirror) - The Bandarawela Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday (June 10) imposed a fine of Rs. 400,000 on Barista Coffee Lanka (Pvt) Ltd, operating as Barista Express in Bandarawela, after the company pleaded guilty to four charges related to violations of consumer protection laws.

The case was filed following a raid conducted by officers of the Badulla District Office of the Consumer Affairs Authority (CAA), during which several serious violations were detected.

According to the CAA, the company admitted to four offences before court. These included selling cakes without required label information such as price, weight, manufacturing date and expiry date, and offering biscuit packets for sale without proper labelling.

The company was also charged with selling expired biscuit packets in violation of consumer protection regulations and storing expired food items in refrigerators and warehouses for use in the preparation of other food and beverages, thereby misleading consumers.

Following the guilty plea, the court imposed a total fine of Rs. 400,000 on the company.

The CAA urged consumers to carefully check labels, prices and expiry dates when purchasing food items, even from well-known brands.

Members of the public are encouraged to report violations of consumer laws by contacting the CAA hotline on 1977 during office hours.