FSSAI issues notices to Nestle India and HUL over misleading claims on products

New Delhi: Food regulator FSSAI has issued show-cause notices to leading FMCG firms Nestle India and Hindustan Unilever Ltd (HUL) over allegedly misleading health and nutrition claims on the packaging and advertisements of several food and beverage products, officials said on Saturday.

In a social media statement, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India confirmed that regulatory notices were served to both companies "regarding misleading claims and non-compliances."

Action against Hindustan Unilever Ltd

The regulator flagged HUL for misleading claims on its health drink 'Horlicks Women's Plus Chocolate Nutrition Drink 400g'.

"Claims such as 'Nutrition for Strong Bones', 'Clinically Proven to Help Improve Bone Strength in 6 Months' and 'Improves Bone Health' were found to be misleading or non-compliant with applicable regulations," FSSAI stated.

The authority noted that the claim 'healthy Muscles' violated existing rules governing the word "healthy" in food claims. Furthermore, the label's "No Added Sugar" assertion was deemed misleading due to the presence of maltodextrin in the formulation. FSSAI added that the product's advertised "100 per cent RDA of Calcium, Vitamin D & K2" failed to comply with established food safety standards.

HUL received a separate notice regarding "Horlicks Mother's Plus Kesar 400 g BIB".

"The claims 'Healthy Birth Weight' on the product label and 'For baby's healthy birth weight' in the advertisement were found to be potentially misleading and in contravention of the FSS (Advertising and Claims) Regulations, 2018," the regulator stated.

FSSAI highlighted that descriptions such as 'For Pregnancy and Lactation with Protein for Birth Weight and DHA for Brain Development - No Added Sugar' were improperly integrated into the product name on e-commerce listings. The regulator directed HUL to respond within a stipulated timeframe, warning of further enforcement if the explanation proves unsatisfactory.

Notice to Nestle India over ready-to-drink range and special dietary products

FSSAI also issued notices to Nestle India alongside co-manufacturers Schreiber Dynamix Dairies Private Ltd and Lotus Dairy Products Pvt Ltd over labeling inconsistencies in the 'Nescafe Ready-to-Drink' range—including 'Nescafe Intense Cafe' Cappuccino, "Nescafe Choco Mocha", and "Nescafe Chilled Latte".

"The products were found to carry inconsistent descriptions on the packaging, with the front of the pack declaring 'Flavoured Milk' while the back of the pack declares 'Proprietary Food - Dairy Based Drink'," the regulator said.

Online product descriptions labeling the beverages as "Coffee Flavoured Milk" or "crafted with the goodness of flavoured double toned milk" were found to contradict the declared product category and composition. FSSAI emphasised that classifying these products as proprietary food was "incorrect" and sought a formal explanation.

In a separate action, Nestle India was cited for regulatory non-compliance involving "Nestle resource renal vanilla flavour powder", a product targeted for 'Food for Dietary Management of Individuals with Conservatively Treated Chronic Kidney Disease'.

Under the FSS (Health Supplements, Nutraceuticals, Food for Special Dietary Use, Food for Special Medical Purpose, and Prebiotic and Probiotic Food) Regulations, 2022, foods formulated for specific medical conditions require prior approval from food authorities before being offered for sale. FSSAI confirmed that Nestle India failed to secure the necessary prior clearance, "rendering the product non-compliant" with regulatory standards. (PTI)