India’s food-safety watchdog has accused the local arms of Nestlé and Unilever of making “misleading” health claims.
The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has issued a notice to Nestlé India over the company’s Resource Renal vanilla-flavour powder, marketed for individuals with chronic kidney disease.
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In a notice posted on X on Saturday (17 October), the regulator said the product falls under provisions for “Food for Special Medical Purpose”, requiring prior statutory approval that the Swiss giant’s local unit had “not obtained”.
The FSSAI also cited the omission of the mandatory vegetarian or non-vegetarian symbol under its labelling rules.
Nestlé has been instructed to “show cause” and respond within a specified timeframe.
Hindustan Unilever (HUL), the UK-based FMCG group’s local listed business, was issued notices on two Horlicks products.
For Horlicks Women’s Plus Chocolate Nutrition Drink, the FSSAI said the company’s claims “Nutrition for Strong Bones” and “Clinically Proven to Help Improve Bone Strength in 6 Months” were misleading or non-compliant with rules.
The regulator also objected to the use of the claim “Healthy Muscles”, the “No Added Sugar” declaration in view of the product’s maltodextrin content, the presentation of the nutritional information table and the claim of “100% RDA of Calcium, Vitamin D & K2”.
Maltodextrin is a processed, water-soluble carbohydrate powder made from plant starches such as corn, rice and potato.
A second notice concerned Horlicks Mother’s Plus Kesar, where the FSSAI deemed claims of “Healthy Birth Weight” on the packaging and in advertising to be “potentially misleading”, noting the wording implied the food itself imparted direct health benefits.
HUL has also been directed to show cause.
The moves comes amid the FSSAI’s crackdown on marketing and label declarations across multinational food and beverage companies.
In August, the regulator targeted Dabur India over organic claims, while energy drinks brands including Red Bull and PepsiCo, as well as liquor groups such as United Spirits, have faced scrutiny over flavour and ingredient declarations.
Nestlé is already embroiled in an infant-formula dispute with the FSSAI involving NAN Excella Pro and Lactogen Pro.
Regarding those cases, a Nestlé India spokesperson previously told Just Food: “Our products are fully compliant with all the applicable regulations… We will continue to work closely and support FSSAI in its efforts towards consumer awareness.”
Just Food has contacted Nestlé India and HUL in India for comment on the latest notices.
