FSSAI issues notices to Nestle India, Hindustan Unilever over misleading claims and non-compliances

New Delhi, October 17 (IANS): The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) on Saturday said it has issued notices to leading FMCG firms, including Nestle India and Hindustan Unilever Ltd (HUL) over alleged misleading claims and regulatory non-compliances concerning certain nutrition products.Taking to the social media platform X, the food regulator said Nestle India has been served a notice regarding its "Nestle Resource Renal Vanilla Flavour Powder", a product intended for the dietary management of individuals with conservatively treated chronic kidney disease.According to FSSAI, an examination of a complaint, product label, advertisements and e-commerce listings revealed multiple non-compliances.The regulator said such products require prior approval under the Food Safety and Standards (Health Supplements, Nutraceuticals, Food for Special Dietary Use, Food for Special Medical Purpose, and Prebiotic and Probiotic Food) Regulations, 2022.However, the company had not obtained the requisite approval, rendering the product non-compliant with applicable regulations, FSSAI said. It also noted that the mandatory vegetarian or non-vegetarian symbol was missing from the product label in violation of labelling rules.The regulator directed the company to show cause and submit its response within the stipulated period, warning that failure to provide a satisfactory explanation could invite further action under food safety laws.FSSAI also issued a notice to another FMCG company HUL over claims made for "Horlicks Mother's Plus Kesar 400 g BIB". The regulator said claims such as "Healthy Birth Weight" on the product label and "For baby's healthy birth weight" in advertisements were potentially misleading.The regulator further observed that certain promotional descriptions used on e-commerce platforms did not conform to regulatory requirements and sought an explanation from the company.In a separate notice concerning "Horlicks Women's Plus Chocolate Nutrition Drink 400 g", FSSAI flagged several claims including "Nutrition for Strong Bones", "Clinically Proven to Help Improve Bone Strength in 6 Months" and "Improves Bone Health" as misleading or non-compliant with applicable norms.The regulator also questioned the use of the claim "Healthy Muscles", saying it violated provisions governing the use of the term "healthy" in food claims.It further said the claim "No Added Sugar" was potentially misleading due to the presence of maltodextrin in the product formulation.Additionally, FSSAI noted deficiencies in the nutritional information table and said the claim of "100 per cent RDA of Calcium, Vitamin D & K2" did not comply with applicable food safety requirements.However, HUL has been asked to respond to the notices within the prescribed time frame. The regulator said relevant licensing authorities and e-commerce platforms have also been requested to take action in accordance with food safety laws.Separately, FSSAI said it has cancelled the licence of Bala Ji Food Products with immediate effect following serious violations of food safety, hygiene and sanitation requirements.The regulator said the licence had earlier been suspended after inspections revealed significant non-compliances posing risks to public health. Despite being given an opportunity for a personal hearing, the company's explanations were found unsatisfactory and the deficiencies remained unaddressed.Following the cancellation, Bala Ji Food Products has been directed to immediately halt all manufacturing, processing, packaging and distribution activities, FSSAI said.