The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has initiated legal proceedings against Nestlé India over alleged regulatory non-compliances involving three infant nutrition products.
The cases relate to NAN Excella Pro Stage 1, Lactogen Pro 1 and another follow-up formula manufactured by the company.
According to FSSAI, promotional claims found on e-commerce platforms for NAN Excella Pro Stage 1 and Lactogen Pro 1 were not in compliance with provisions governing infant food promotion. The authority said claims concerning “5 HMOs” and “Whey Protein” were observed for NAN Excella Pro Stage 1, while Lactogen Pro 1 carried a claim that whey protein was easy to digest.
FSSAI said the claims were found to contravene Regulation 4(2) of the Food Safety and Standards (Food for Infant Nutrition) Regulations, 2020, which restricts promotional material intended to increase the saleability of infant foods. The authority also cited provisions of the Infant Milk Substitutes, Feeding Bottles and Infant Foods (Regulation of Production, Supply and Distribution) Act, 1992.
In a separate matter, laboratory testing of a follow-up formula manufactured by Nestlé India found its Biotin content below the prescribed requirement. The sample was subsequently sent for re-analysis, where the referral laboratory also reported non-conformity with the applicable Biotin standard.
Based on these findings, FSSAI said it has filed three separate adjudication cases against Nestlé India in connection with the products.
Nestlé India, however, said its products comply with applicable regulations. A company spokesperson said NAN Excella Pro and Lactogen Pro, along with their labels, had been approved by an FSSAI expert committee and that the company had submitted a detailed response to the authorities, stating that the label claims were factual and supported by scientific literature.
Nestlé India also said it would continue to cooperate with FSSAI and comply with applicable regulatory requirements.
Following the development, Nestlé India shares closed 0.4% lower at ₹1,364.90 on September 18, after touching an intraday low of ₹1,332.80.
