The Consumer Affairs Authority has rejected as false a social media post claiming that the prices of powdered milk, condensed milk, yoghurt and several other dairy products have been increased.
The CAA said a message labelled “BREAKING NEWS” is being circulated on social media listing the alleged increases. The information in it is false, the authority said, and the public should not share such reports without verifying them.
Spreading false or unverified information of this kind could create unnecessary panic among consumers and lead to misunderstandings in the market, the CAA warned.
The authority asked consumers to report any suspected price changes or market irregularities through the consumer hotline 1977.
Why the post was plausible
The claim landed in a week when other staple prices did move. Millers Prima and Serendib raised wheat flour prices by Rs. 17 a kilogram on Friday, and canteen owners announced increases of Rs. 5 on flour-based foods including parata and egg roti within hours.
Milk powder has its own recent history of increases. Prices of imported milk powder rose by between Rs. 50 and Rs. 125 a packet in May, a move importers attributed to the rupee and to import costs. A post announcing a fresh dairy increase therefore fitted a pattern consumers had already seen twice this year.
Powdered milk is one of the goods subject to a maximum retail price set by the CAA, which means any genuine change would be announced by the authority rather than surfacing first on social media.
What the statement does not say
The CAA did not identify the source of the post, say how widely it had spread, or indicate whether it intends to take action over it. It also did not comment on whether any application for a dairy price revision is currently before it — a denial that prices have increased is not a statement about whether any request to raise them exists.
No other verified newsroom had carried the CAA statement at the time of writing.
