FSSAI Halts Dabur Products Over 100% Claims
India’s food regulator has directed Dabur India to stop selling several products carrying “100%” claims, ruling that the wording could mislead consumers about their purity, composition or superiority.
FSSAI Halts Dabur Product Sales
The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India ordered the company to immediately suspend sales of the affected products in their existing packaging.
The products include organic apple cider vinegar, organic honey, homemade coconut milk, sesame oil and cow ghee. The regulatory action concerns claims displayed on their labels and promotional material rather than a finding that the products are unsafe or contaminated.
Dabur would need to modify the disputed claims and ensure that its packaging complies with applicable food-labelling regulations before resuming sales.
Dabur 100% Claims Called Misleading
FSSAI maintains that expressions such as “100% natural” or “100% pure” are ambiguous and potentially unverifiable. Such wording can create an impression of absolute purity or suggest that competing products are inferior.
The term “100%” is not specifically defined or recognised as a permissible claim under the Food Safety and Standards Act or the Advertising and Claims Regulations, 2018.
Existing rules require food claims to be truthful, clear, meaningful and supported by evidence. Advertisements and labels must not create misleading perceptions or prevent consumers from making informed purchasing decisions.
Food Labelling Rules Face Scrutiny
The regulator had previously advised all food businesses to avoid using “100%” on labels, packaging and promotional material. The direction followed a dispute involving Dabur’s “100% fruit juice” labels on reconstituted fruit beverages.
FSSAI argued that such juice claims could mislead consumers because the products were made using fruit concentrates and water. Dabur had challenged the regulator’s interpretation before the Delhi High Court and defended its labelling as compliant.
The latest order extends regulatory scrutiny to a broader selection of Dabur food products carrying absolute marketing claims.
