New Delhi, October 17, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) on Saturday said it had issued notices to leading fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) companies, including Nestle India and Hindustan Unilever Ltd (HUL), over alleged misleading claims and regulatory non-compliances involving certain nutrition products.
In a post on social media platform X, the food regulator said Nestle India had been served a notice concerning its “Nestle Resource Renal Vanilla Flavour Powder”, a product intended for the dietary management of individuals with conservatively treated chronic kidney disease.
According to FSSAI, an examination of a complaint, the product label, advertisements and e-commerce listings revealed multiple instances of non-compliance.
The regulator said such products require prior approval under the Food Safety and Standards (Health Supplements, Nutraceuticals, Food for Special Dietary Use, Food for Special Medical Purpose, and Prebiotic and Probiotic Food) Regulations, 2022.
However, Nestle India had not obtained the requisite approval, rendering the product non-compliant with the applicable regulations, FSSAI said. It also pointed out that the product label did not carry the mandatory vegetarian or non-vegetarian symbol, in violation of labelling requirements.
The company has been directed to show cause and submit its response within the stipulated period. FSSAI warned that failure to provide a satisfactory explanation could lead to further action under food safety laws.
The regulator also issued a notice to HUL over claims made for its “Horlicks Mother’s Plus Kesar 400 g BIB” product.
FSSAI said claims such as “Healthy Birth Weight” on the product label and “For baby’s healthy birth weight” in advertisements were potentially misleading. It further observed that certain promotional descriptions used on e-commerce platforms did not conform to regulatory requirements and sought an explanation from the company.
In a separate notice concerning “Horlicks Women’s Plus Chocolate Nutrition Drink 400 g”, FSSAI flagged several claims, including “Nutrition for Strong Bones”, “Clinically Proven to Help Improve Bone Strength in 6 Months” and “Improves Bone Health”, as misleading or non-compliant with applicable norms.
The regulator also questioned the claim “Healthy Muscles”, stating that it violated provisions governing the use of the term “healthy” in food-related claims.
FSSAI further said the claim “No Added Sugar” was potentially misleading because the product formulation contained maltodextrin.
Additionally, the regulator identified deficiencies in the nutritional information table and said the claim of “100 per cent RDA of Calcium, Vitamin D & K2” did not meet applicable food safety requirements.
HUL has been asked to respond to the notices within the prescribed time frame. FSSAI said the relevant licensing authorities and e-commerce platforms had also been requested to take action in accordance with food safety laws.
In a separate action, FSSAI said it had cancelled the licence of Bala Ji Food Products with immediate effect following serious violations of food safety, hygiene and sanitation requirements.
According to the regulator, the licence had earlier been suspended after inspections revealed significant non-compliances that posed risks to public health. The company was given an opportunity for a personal hearing, but its explanations were found unsatisfactory and the deficiencies remained unaddressed.
Following the cancellation, Bala Ji Food Products has been directed to immediately stop all manufacturing, processing, packaging and distribution activities, FSSAI said.
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