FSSAI Issues Notices to Nestle & Hindustan Unilever Over Claims

The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India has issued show-cause notices to Nestle India and Hindustan Unilever regarding misleading health claims and regulatory non-compliances on certain product packaging and advertisements. This regulatory crackdown forms part of a nationwide enforcement effort by the FSSAI to address misleading product claims and ensure strict compliance with food labeling standards.

The Hindustan Unilever Scrutiny

The regulator flagged specific promotional claims and labeling issues across multiple products manufactured by Hindustan Unilever during market surveillance and audits on physical and e-commerce platforms.

• For Horlicks Women’s Plus Chocolate Nutrition Drink, claims such as Nutrition for Strong Bones and Clinically Proven to Help Improve Bone Strength in 6 Months were deemed misleading or non-compliant.
• The term Healthy Muscles on the same product violated rules regarding the use of the word healthy in food claims, while a No Added Sugar claim was flagged because the product contains maltodextrin.
• For Horlicks Mother’s Plus Kesar, claims like Healthy Birth Weight on packaging and in advertisements were determined to be deceptive under the FSS Regulations of 2018.

The regulatory body also criticized the use of specific descriptive titles for pregnancy and lactation containing protein and DHA on e-commerce platforms.

The Nestle India Scrutiny

Nestle India faced regulatory action over labeling inconsistencies and missing approvals across its beverage and specialized health product portfolios.

• The Nescafé Ready-To-Drink range including Intense Café, Choco Mocha, and Chilled Latte was found to have conflicting labels stating Flavoured Milk on the front while declaring Proprietary Food on the back or online.
• Nestle Resource Renal Vanilla Flavour Powder failed to secure required prior approval from the Food Authority for special dietary and medical-use foods, alongside missing mandatory vegetarian or non-vegetarian symbols.

The enforcement action highlights ongoing regulatory oversight into corporate marketing practices and food safety standards across major consumer goods manufacturers in India.