FSSAI Issues Show-Cause Notices to Nestlé India and HUL Over Misleading Label Claims
The FSSAI show-cause notice issued to Nestlé India Limited and Hindustan Unilever Limited (HUL) targets misleading product claims and labelling non-compliance, according to a report on a nation-wide enforcement drive by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India. The regulator also suspended the licences of two regional food manufacturers after finding severe safety violations. The source says the actions follow audits and market surveillance across e-commerce platforms and physical markets. A show-cause notice asks a company to explain; it is not a finding of violation or a penalty.
FSSAI Show-Cause Notice: What Was Flagged
The table below summarises the notices as reported. The status of each is a regulator notice awaiting a company response.
| Company | Product | Issue flagged | Regulation cited |
|---|---|---|---|
| HUL | Horlicks Mother's Plus Kesar 400 g BIB | "Healthy Birth Weight" claim implies direct physiological benefit | FSS (Advertising and Claims) Regulations, 2018 |
| Nestlé India | Nescafé Intense Café, Choco Mocha, Chilled Latte | Conflicting "Flavoured Milk" and "Proprietary Food" labels | FSS (Food Products and Food Additives) Regulations, 2011 |
| Nestlé India | Nestlé Resource Renal Vanilla Flavour Powder | No prior approval; missing veg/non-veg symbol | FSS (Health Supplements, Nutraceuticals, FSDU, FSMP, Prebiotic and Probiotic Food) Regulations, 2022; FSS (Labelling and Display) Regulations, 2020 |
HUL: Horlicks Mother's Plus Kesar
FSSAI served HUL a notice over misleading health claims on Horlicks Mother's Plus Kesar 400 g BIB. Inspections found that claims such as "Healthy Birth Weight" on packaging and advertisements violated the 2018 Advertising and Claims Regulations by falsely implying that the product directly imparts physiological health benefits.
The regulator also flagged wording on e-commerce platforms, where a line referring to pregnancy and lactation, protein for birth weight and DHA for brain development, with "No Added Sugar", was incorporated into product titles. The source describes this wording as improper.
Nestlé India: Nescafé Drinks and Resource Renal
For the Nescafé ready-to-drink range, including Nescafé Intense Café (Cappuccino), Nescafé Choco Mocha and Nescafé Chilled Latte, FSSAI found conflicting label declarations. The products are made through M/s Schreiber Dynamix Dairies Pvt. Ltd. and M/s Lotus Dairy Products Pvt. Ltd. Front packs say "Flavoured Milk", while rear packs and online listings class them as "Proprietary Food – 1.12 Dairy Based Drink" or describe them as "crafted with the goodness of flavoured double toned milk". FSSAI said the drinks fall under the standardised "Flavored Milk" category, which makes proprietary labelling incorrect.
Nestlé Resource Renal Vanilla Flavour Powder is marketed for the dietary management of people with conservatively treated chronic kidney disease. According to the source, it lacked the required prior approval from the Food Authority under the 2022 regulations, and its packaging omitted mandatory vegetarian or non-vegetarian symbols required by the 2020 labelling rules.
Licence Suspensions and Possible Next Steps
FSSAI suspended the licences of local food business operators M/s Sukhdarshan Pharma and M/s Bala Ji Food Products after physical inspections found severe food safety violations. The source gives no further detail on the violations.
The regulator directed the companies to submit show-cause responses within a stipulated timeframe, which the source does not specify. It warned that unsatisfactory explanations will prompt legal action under the FSS Act, 2006. The source adds that enforcement directives may require companies to withdraw non-compliant digital advertisements and issue corrective public notices.
What to Watch
The confirmed trigger is the response deadline in each show-cause notice, but the source does not give it. Any company reply, FSSAI order or corrective notice would be the next development; none has been reported.
