The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has taken decisive action against numerous food business operators, issuing notices for alleged violations of the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006. These actions stem from concerns over misleading brand and trade names, questionable product claims, labeling irregularities, and a number of consumer complaints.
FSSAI has mandated that the implicated companies implement corrective measures to ensure strict adherence to food safety and consumer protection standards. The regulatory body disclosed the complete list of the food operators on the social media platform X.
Specific Brand Violations Highlighted:
- Pluckk Mango Fruit Juice: Marketed with a “No Added Sugar” claim, but its ingredients revealed 51% mango pulp and 49% sugarcane juice.
- Natural Paneer: The use of the term “Natural Paneer” on its packaging was deemed a violation of Schedule V of the Food Safety and Standards Regulations, 2018.
- Gaur Healthy Food – Silken Tofu: Flagged for an unauthorized “100% Veg” tagline and unsubstantiated claims like “rich in vitamins” and prohibited therapeutic claims such as “anti-cancer properties”.
- MasterChow Foods – Ramen Noodles: Cited for using “100% Natural” and “Freshly Made” claims, while the ingredients listed conventional “premium quality white flour” instead of the advertised “high-quality organic flour”.
- Ferrero India Private Limited – Kinder Joy: The claim “Rich in Milk Solids” was questioned as the ingredient composition was found to not predominantly feature milk solids.
- ATOM PWR Whey XL by Medizen Labs: Accused of misleading claims like “Pure & Healthy” and “100% Authentic”, with advertised benefits like “Easy Digest” and “Rapid Recovery” lacking scientific substantiation.
- Saffola Total Heart Pro Cooking Oil: Potentially misleading imagery and claims like “Heart Pro” were flagged, along with claims for “Good Fats Balance” and “Losorb” requiring scientific evidence.
- ORVILLE – Mountain Bawarchi Buransh Squash: Lacked mandatory Buransh pulp percentage declaration and featured unapproved medicinal and disease-reduction claims.
- Nexa Industries – Alkaline Nutrient Water: The brand name and category are not standardized, and the product displayed unauthorized health-benefit claims.
- Raw Pressery – Alphonso Mango Fruit Drink: Stated “contains naturally occurring sugars” on the front label, but the ingredients listed fructose as an added sugar.
- Incipro Gold Powder Vanilla: A nutraceutical product flagged for allegedly misleading claims regarding its 100% hydrolysed whey protein, neuro nutrients, and probiotic content.
- Himalayan Organics Korean Ginseng: The claim to “support energy and performance” was deemed misleading, and the recommended serving size exceeded permitted ingredient limits.
In addition to product-specific violations, FSSAI issued a notice to Bikanervala following a social media complaint alleging poor hygiene standards within their kitchen during operational hours. The company is required to investigate, outline hygiene SOPs, and report corrective actions taken.
Param Dairy Limited also faced scrutiny due to consumer complaints of fungal contamination in their dahi and rabri products supplied via IRCTC catering. FSSAI has requested details on their sourcing and inventory management to prevent the sale of expired goods.
