New Delhi, June 19 (IANS). The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) on Friday said it has issued notices to food business operators (FBOs) who were making misleading claims, branding and labeling of their products. Also, this action has been taken on the basis of complaints from customers regarding their products.
Apart from this, FSSAI has also directed the FBOs to take improvement measures.
In a post on social media platform ‘X’, FSSAI said that these notices were issued under the rules of ‘Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006’. These notices were related to misleading brand names, trade names, product claims, labeling violations and other customer complaints.
According to the information given by the regulator, notices have been sent to many food businesses. These food operators are accused of making claims that violate the ‘Food Safety and Standards (Advertising and Claims) Regulations, 2018’ or which are likely to mislead customers.
‘Pluck’ was also included among the companies on which the regulator raised questions. The company’s mango juice claimed to have ‘nine added sugars’, but investigation revealed that the ingredients list included mango pulp and sugarcane juice. According to the regulator, this claim could have created misconceptions about the amount of sugar present in the product.
Apart from this, the regulator also raised questions on the use of the term ‘Natural Paneer’ on a cheese product. They said that this information violates the rules related to the use of the word ‘natural’ for mixed foods.
Other companies that have received notices include ‘Gaur Healthy Food’ for claims on ‘silken tofu’ product; ‘Masterchow Foods Pvt Ltd’ for claims like ‘100% natural’, ‘freshly made’ and mention of ‘organic flour’; ‘Ferrero India’ for ‘Rich in Milk Solids’ claim on ‘Kinder Joy-Coated Wafer Biscuit’ product; and ‘Marico Limited’ for branding and health claims related to ‘Saffola Total Heart Pro’ cooking oil.
Apart from this, FSSAI also raised questions on the claims of ‘Insipro Gold Powder Vanilla’ product of Medigen Labs, Nexa Industries, Raw Pressery, Nutraceutical and Korean Ginseng Nutraceutical product. The government agency said that many claims related to health and performance required scientific evidence or were not acceptable under existing rules.
Additionally, the regulator also issued notices to Bikanerwala and Param Dairy Limited following customer complaints received through social media.
The notice was sent to Bikanerwala due to concerns related to hygiene. One complaint stated that a staff member was eating food inside the service or kitchen area during working hours. The company has been asked to provide information about its investigation, standard operating procedures and corrective steps taken in response to the complaint.
At the same time, a notice was issued to Param Dairy Limited on allegations of fungal infection in dairy-based products (curd and rabri) supplied through IRCTC catering service. The company has been directed to provide information about the products supplied, inventory management practices, corrective steps taken and measures adopted to prevent recurrence of such incidents.
FSSAI said all concerned food business operators have been directed to take appropriate corrective steps and ensure compliance with applicable food safety, advertising and labeling regulations.
–IANS
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