New Delhi: In a significant enforcement action after facing years of criticism over weak action against misleading food marketing, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has ordered Dabur India Ltd to immediately stop selling a range of products carrying "100 percent" claims, ruling that such labels violate food advertising regulations.
The prohibition covers several products sold by the FMCG major, including honey, cow ghee, apple cider vinegar, virgin coconut oil, sesame oil, coconut water and coconut milk, among others.
Follow The PSUWatch Channel on WhatsApp
Announcing the action on social media on Monday, the regulator said the products were being marketed with claims such as "100% Natural", "100% Pure", "100% Purity Guaranteed", "100% Organic" and "100% Tender Coconut Water" on the company's website.
According to FSSAI, such claims are ambiguous, unverifiable and likely to mislead consumers, making them non-compliant with the Food Safety and Standards (Advertising and Claims) Regulations, 2018.
The regulator also found that Dabur Himalayan Organic Apple Cider Vinegar and Dabur Organic Honey displayed the Jaivik Bharat logo without a valid FSSAI organic endorsement. In another instance, Dabur Hommade Coconut Milk was marketed with the claim "100% Purity", which FSSAI said is not permitted for compound food products under existing regulations.
More significantly, the regulator disclosed that it had already issued a notice to Dabur directing it to discontinue the disputed claims. However, it said the company failed to take satisfactory corrective action, prompting the prohibition order.
FSSAI has now directed Dabur to immediately withdraw the identified products, along with any other food items carrying misleading "100 percent" claims, and submit an Action Taken Report within 15 days.
The action marks one of the regulator's most prominent moves against a leading consumer goods company and comes amid a broader crackdown on advertising claims in the food and beverage sector. Over the past year, FSSAI has increasingly begun naming companies publicly through its social media channels instead of limiting enforcement to private notices, signalling a more assertive regulatory approach.
Follow PSU Watch on LinkedIN
The regulator has recently tightened scrutiny of marketing claims made by alcoholic beverage companies, energy drink manufacturers and food businesses, particularly where labels or advertisements could influence consumer perception without adequate scientific or regulatory backing.
For FSSAI, the Dabur action is likely to be seen as a test of whether it can translate regulatory warnings into visible enforcement against large brands after years of criticism that misleading health, purity and naturalness claims often went unchecked despite repeated consumer complaints.
(PSU Watch is India's Business News centre that places the spotlight on PSUs, Bureaucracy, Defence and Public Policy. 👉 Click to join our channel now: PSUWatch WhatsApp Channel. Prefer LinkedIn? Follow PSU Watch on LinkedIN. Click to stay connected on Twitter here and stay updated)