FSSAI Action: Lotte India, Dabur Among Six Food Firms To Fix Misleading Labels And Claims

Six food businesses, including Lotte India Corporation, Dabur India and Ferns N Petals, have taken corrective measures after the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) flagged misleading labels, product claims and advertisements.

The regulator said on Tuesday that six companies, Lotte India Corporation, Dabur India, Ferns N Petals, Eat Better Ventures, S S Product Prop and Om Sai Healthcare, had acted on notices issued by it. The corrective measures ranged from removing claims from product packaging to changing product categorisation and revising marketing material.

FSSAI said the actions demonstrate how regulatory oversight is driving greater accountability among food businesses and helping ensure that consumers receive accurate information about products.

In Dabur's case, FSSAI said the company was selling an Ayurvedic proprietary medicinal oil as edible oil. Dabur subsequently directed e-commerce platforms to list the product under the appropriate category of Ayurvedic proprietary medicine. The company is also updating its own website accordingly, saying the product does not fall under FSSAI's purview.

Lotte India removed "100 per cent" claims from its product labels following the regulator's notice.

Ferns N Petals faced several labelling issues involving its chocolate products. FSSAI found that a chocolate marketed as almond chocolate contained hydrogenated vegetable fat instead of cocoa butter. Under the applicable regulations, chocolates containing vegetable fats other than cocoa butter must carry a specific declaration prominently on the label.

The regulator also flagged the absence of Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) values in the nutritional information, failure to declare the percentage of mango in the ingredients list and the use of almond images on the product label. Ferns N Petals said corrective measures had been taken and labels of its products, including Roasted Almond Chocolate, had been rectified.

Eat Better Ventures removed comparative and vegan claims, while Om Sai Healthcare said it was revising its marketing material and website content. The company also assured FSSAI that it would not use misleading advertisements or claims in future.

The latest action highlights that food regulation extends beyond the safety of the product itself, with labelling, packaging and advertising claims also coming under increasing scrutiny.