NEW DELHI (Realist English). India’s food safety regulator (FSSAI) has sent official notices to Nestlé India and Hindustan Unilever (HUL) over alleged misleading health claims and labeling rule violations. Bloomberg reports this.
Claims against Nestlé
The regulator flagged the product Resource Renal Vanilla Flavour Powder, intended for the dietary nutrition of people with chronic kidney disease. Under Indian law, foods for special medical purposes require prior FSSAI approval before sale. Nestlé did not obtain such approval, making the product non-compliant.
In addition, the packaging lacked the mandatory symbol indicating whether the product is vegetarian or not.
A separate notice concerns the Nescafé Ready-to-Drink line. The regulator found a discrepancy: the front of the packaging states “Flavoured Milk,” while the back states “Proprietary Food — Dairy Based Drink.” In marketplace descriptions, the product was called “Coffee Flavoured Milk,” which also contradicts the declared category.
Claims against HUL
The notices concern two Horlicks products. In the case of Horlicks Women’s Plus Chocolate Nutrition Drink, the regulator deemed the claims “Nutrition for strong bones,” “Clinically proven: improves bone strength in 6 months,” and “Improves bone health” to be misleading.
The use of the term “healthy muscles” violates the rules for using the word “healthy” in food claims. The claim “No added sugar” was found misleading due to the presence of maltodextrin in the composition. The claim of “100% RDA of calcium, vitamin D and K2” also does not meet the requirements.
Regarding Horlicks Mother’s Plus Kesar, the regulator pointed to potentially misleading wording: “Healthy birth weight” on the packaging and “For healthy birth weight of the child” in advertising. According to FSSAI, such claims may create the impression that the product itself ensures this effect, which contradicts the 2018 advertising and claims rules.
Company response
Both companies are required to respond to the notices within the established deadline. FSSAI warned that an unsatisfactory response could lead to further measures, including stopping non-compliant advertising and publishing corrective statements. The regulator also asked licensing authorities and online platforms to take the necessary measures.
At the same time, FSSAI suspended the licenses of two local manufacturers — Sukhdarshan Pharma and Bala Ji Food Products — for serious sanitary violations.
The FSSAI notices reflect a broader trend of tightening control over health claims in India’s fast-growing functional nutrition and supplements market. For Nestlé and Unilever, these are not the first such claims, but it is telling that the regulator has addressed both specialized medical nutrition (where prior approval is required) and mass-market products with marketing claims about bones, muscles, and birth weight.
Formally, the notices are not a final decision — companies can present explanations. However, the very fact of their issuance signals that FSSAI is moving from responding to complaints to systematic verification of compliance of claims on packaging and in online descriptions. For consumers, this means that marketing wording on shelves and in product cards will be checked more strictly — especially where health is concerned.
