The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has directed Dabur India to stop selling a range of products carrying claims such as "100% pure", "100% natural", "100% purity guaranteed", "100% juice" and "100% original", stating that the labels violate food labelling regulations and have the potential to mislead consumers.
The regulator's order applies to several products, including organic honey, apple cider vinegar, virgin coconut oil, sesame oil, cow ghee, coconut water and coconut milk. According to FSSAI, some of the products carried unauthorised organic claims that could create the impression of regulatory endorsement. It also found that certain declarations on the labels were not permitted under the Food Safety and Standards (Advertising and Claims) Regulations, 2018.
As part of its directive, FSSAI has asked the company to immediately stop the sale of the identified products, recall stocks already available in the market within 15 days and submit a compliance report after completing the process.
Responding to the regulator's action, Dabur India said it believes the declarations on its product labels comply with the prevailing legal and regulatory framework and are consistent with long-standing industry practices. The company maintained that it stands by the purity and quality of its products and has never made misleading claims.
Dabur also stated that it has already begun removing the "100%" claims from product labels, advertisements and its official website in line with FSSAI's observations. According to the company, the updated labels have already been implemented for several products, while the remaining products are currently undergoing the transition process.
The company further said it is responding to the regulator's observations and will continue to engage constructively with FSSAI to resolve the matter.
