FSSAI Takes Action Against Nestle, HUL for Misleading Food Labels

The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has recently issued official notices to two major companies, Nestle India and Hindustan Unilever Limited (HUL), concerning discrepancies and misleading claims found on some of their food product labels and advertisements.

On Friday, the regulator highlighted issues with Nestle India’s marketing of several Nescafé products available on e-commerce platforms, including Nescafé Intense Café Cappuccino, Nescafé Choco Mocha, and Nescafé Chilled Latte. The front packaging of these items labeled them as “Flavoured Milk,” while the back contained the description “Proprietary Food - 1.12 Dairy Based Drink.” Online descriptions further complicated the matter by calling the products “Coffee Flavoured Milk” and mentioning phrases such as “crafted with the goodness of flavoured double toned milk.”

FSSAI clarified that these products should be categorized solely under the standardized “Flavoured Milk” category, making the “Proprietary Food” label inaccurate and non-compliant. This discrepancy violates the Food Safety and Standards (Advertising and Claims) Regulations of 2018 as well as the Food Safety and Standards (Labelling and Display) Regulations of 2020.

In addition to these products, Nestle’s Resource Renal Vanilla powder, which is intended for dietary management of chronic kidney disease, was also flagged. The regulator pointed out that this product requires prior approval under the 2022 regulations concerning special dietary and medical purpose foods, which Nestle had not secured. The powder’s packaging also did not display the mandatory vegetarian or non-vegetarian symbol, further breaching labeling requirements.

Hindustan Unilever’s Horlicks range also came under scrutiny. The 400-gram Horlicks Women’s Plus Chocolate variant was found to contain several problematic claims. These include statements like “Nutrition for Strong Bones,” “Clinically Proven to Help Improve Bone Strength in 6 Months,” and “Improves Bone Health,” which the FSSAI deemed misleading or not compliant with existing rules. The use of the term “Healthy Muscles” violated restrictions on such health-related claims. Additionally, the “No Added Sugar” claim was considered deceptive due to the inclusion of maltodextrin, a type of sugar. The assertion of providing “100% RDA of Calcium, Vitamin D & K2” also failed to meet regulatory standards, and the nutritional information table did not follow the prescribed format. Licensing authorities and e-commerce platforms have been instructed to take appropriate action accordingly.

Another product from the Horlicks range, the 400-gram Horlicks Mother’s Plus Kesar (Bag-in-Box), was flagged for statements such as “Healthy Birth Weight” on its label and “For baby's healthy birth weight” in advertisements. These claims were judged potentially misleading because they suggest the product itself directly imparts health benefits. The regulator also noted that phrases like “For Pregnancy and Lactation with Protein for Birth Weight and DHA for Brain Development No Added Sugar” were used in the product name on online platforms, which contradicts the notice requirements issued by FSSAI.

Beyond these notices, the FSSAI took enforcement steps against other food businesses. The license of Bala Ji Food Products was cancelled immediately due to repeated non-compliance, and the company must cease all manufacturing and distribution activities.

Similarly, the license of Sukhdarshan Pharma was suspended after an inspection revealed unhygienic storage and processing conditions, missing records, and an overall compliance score of just 11 percent. The suspension will remain until the company fulfills necessary requirements and improves its standards.

This action by the FSSAI reflects growing regulatory vigilance in India’s food sector, where accurate labeling and truthful advertising are vital for consumer safety and informed choice. With increasing reliance on packaged and processed foods, regulatory bodies continue to enforce strict adherence to established standards to prevent misleading claims and ensure transparent information.

Companies like Nestle and Hindustan Unilever are key players in the Indian food market, and compliance with food safety laws is critical for maintaining consumer trust. These developments also signal to other food manufacturers the importance of thorough review and alignment with regulatory guidelines before marketing products, particularly in digital marketplaces that have rapidly expanded in recent years.