FMCG major Dabur India has faced a major regulatory setback as the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India has directed the company to immediately halt the sale of multiple food products. The regulatory body stated that the company has been making claims on its products that could mislead consumers and fail to comply with existing regulatory standards.
Products Affected and Compliance Timeline
The regulatory action impacts several popular items, including honey, apple cider vinegar, virgin coconut oil, sesame oil, desi ghee, coconut water, and coconut milk. Furthermore, the regulator has instructed the company to submit an action taken report within 15 days to verify compliance with the directives.
Objections Raised Over Unverified Claims
According to the regulatory authority, Dabur has been featuring claims such as “100% नैचुरल”, “100% Pure”, “100% प्योरिटी गारंटीड”, and “100% ऑर्गेनिक” on its website and product packaging. The authority emphasized that under the Food Safety and Standards (Advertising and Claims) Regulations, 2018, such absolute claims are vague, cannot be fully verified, and tend to mislead buyers.
Unauthorized Logos and Labeling Violations
During the inspection, authorities also discovered that Dabur Himalayan Organic Apple Cider Vinegar and Dabur Organic Honey utilized the 'Jaivik Bharat' logo without obtaining valid organic approval from the regulator. Additionally, the claim of “100% Purity” found on Dabur Homemade Coconut Milk was also determined to be in violation of established norms.
Prior Warnings and Administrative Action
The regulator noted that the company had previously been issued notices advising corrective measures regarding these promotional claims. However, according to the authority, the company failed to take satisfactory corrective action, prompting the current directive to suspend the sale of the concerned products due to ongoing violations of labeling and misleading claim guidelines.
