FSSAI issues notices to Hindustan Unilever and Nestlé India over claim and labeling violations
India's food regulator flagged Hindustan Unilever's Horlicks Mother's Plus for potentially misleading birth-weight claims and cited non-compliant product naming on e-commerce sites. It also cited Nestlé India's Resource Renal powder for lacking prior approval and missing the required vegetarian/non-vegetarian symbol.
The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has sent formal notices to two major consumer-goods firms over alleged regulatory breaches. Hindustan Unilever's Horlicks Mother's Plus Kesar was found to carry the phrase "Healthy Birth Weight" on its label and in ads, which the regulator says may mislead consumers and contravene the Food Safety and Standards (Advertising and Claims) Regulations, 2018. Additionally, the inclusion of detailed health benefit statements in the product name on an e-commerce platform was deemed non-compliant.
In a separate case, Nestlé India’s Resource Renal vanilla-flavoured powder was flagged for being marketed without the required prior approval and for lacking the mandatory vegetarian or non-vegetarian symbol on its packaging, violating the Food Safety and Standards (Labelling and Display) Regulations, 2020. Both companies must submit explanations within the prescribed period, and inadequate responses could trigger further enforcement under Indian food-safety law. The notices do not determine final outcomes but signal heightened regulatory scrutiny of health-related claims in the Indian market.
Why it matters
Regulatory action highlights scrutiny of health claims on consumer foods, affecting product marketing and consumer trust in India.
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