In a significant move against misleading food marketing practices, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has directed Dabur India Ltd. to immediately withdraw food products carrying “100%” claims from the market. The regulator has also asked the company to submit an Action Taken Report (ATR) within 15 days.
The action covers a range of Dabur food products, including honey, organic honey, apple cider vinegar, virgin coconut oil, sesame oil, cow ghee, coconut water and coconut milk. According to FSSAI, these products were marketed with claims such as “100% Natural,” “100% Pure,” “100% Purity Guaranteed,” “100% Organic,” and “100% Tender,” which the regulator considers ambiguous, unverifiable and likely to mislead consumers.
FSSAI stated that the claims violate the Food Safety and Standards (Advertising and Claims) Regulations, 2018. The authority also found that Dabur Himalayan Organic Apple Cider Vinegar and Dabur Organic Honey displayed the Jaivik Bharat logo without a valid FSSAI organic endorsement, allegedly breaching the Food Safety and Standards (Organic Foods) Regulations, 2017.
The regulator further noted that Dabur Homemade Coconut Milk was promoted with a “100% Purity” claim, which is not permitted for compound food products under existing regulations. FSSAI said that despite an earlier notice advising the company to discontinue such claims, satisfactory corrective action had not been taken, prompting the latest enforcement order.
Following reports of the regulatory action, Dabur India’s shares declined nearly 4 percent during trading on the Bombay Stock Exchange.
Responding to the order, Dabur said its product declarations comply with the prevailing legal and regulatory framework and are consistent with long-standing industry practices. The company maintained that it has never made misleading claims and continues to stand by the purity and quality of its products.
Dabur also informed stock exchanges that it had already initiated the process of modifying product labels, advertisements and website content to remove the disputed “100%” claims. According to the company, most of the identified products have either completed the transition or are currently undergoing label changes.
The FMCG major said it is examining available legal and regulatory options regarding the FSSAI directive while continuing to engage constructively with the regulator. Dabur further stated that the order is expected to have only a limited impact on its overall business operations and financial performance, as it is restricted to specific food products identified by the authority.
The development underscores FSSAI’s increasing scrutiny of marketing claims in the food sector and signals a stricter regulatory approach toward ensuring that product labels and advertisements do not mislead consumers.
