Coca-Cola Bottler Fined Again for Price Recommendations

Israel's Competition Authority has announced a new NIS 1.5 million fine for The Central Bottling Company (TCCC), the Israeli bottler of Coca-Cola products. This penalty is for violations related to consumer price recommendations for the company's beverages sold in retail chains.

This latest fine follows a previous penalty of approximately NIS 17.7 million that TCCC paid recently. The authority stated that the new financial sanction addresses "isolated violations of the Food and Pharmacy Competition Promotion Law (Food Law), concerning consumer price recommendations in food chains regarding TCCC's soft drink products."

The maximum penalty for each violation could have reached over NIS 25.9 million. The NIS 1.5 million figure was reached after several reductions. The base penalty was set at 10% of the maximum, with a 15% reduction because the authority was unaware of prior Food Law violations by the company. A further 5% reduction was granted due to the relatively efficient process of reaching an agreement. TCCC also agreed to waive its right to a hearing, saving public and legal resources, leading to a significant additional reduction in the final amount.

The authority clarified that this new penalty is separate from the previous one. The earlier NIS 17.7 million fine, paid in February 2026, was for issues including interference with product display, influencing consumer prices for Terra dairy products, and making payments to retailers not as unit discounts. The current fine specifically addresses price recommendations, which were excluded from the previous settlement to allow for further examination.

TCCC is one of Israel's largest food companies, holding over 90% market share in cola products. It markets brands like Coca-Cola, Neviot, Carlsberg, Smirnoff, and Pri-Gan, as well as Terra dairy products. In 2021, its annual revenue was estimated at NIS 8 billion, with profits around NIS 600 million.