The FMCG major has challenged restrictions on absolute claims including “100% Pure”, “100% Natural” and “100% Organic” on food products
FMCG major Dabur India has approached the Delhi High Court challenging the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India’s (FSSAI) order restricting food products carrying absolute claims such as “100 per cent Pure”, “100 per cent Natural”, “100 per cent Purity Guaranteed” and “100 per cent Organic”, according to media report.
The reports state that senior Advocate Sandeep Sethi sought urgent listing of the matter before a Bench comprising Chief Justice Devendra Kumar Upadhyaya and Justice Tejas Karia. The Bench accepted the request and allowed the matter to be listed urgently.
The FSSAI order prohibits food businesses from using absolute “100 per cent” claims on product labels and packaging. The regulator has said such claims can be ambiguous and difficult to verify, and may mislead consumers about a product’s purity, quality or composition.
Products Covered
The restriction covers a range of food products, including honey, cow ghee, apple cider vinegar, virgin coconut oil, sesame oil, coconut water and coconut milk.
The move comes amid closer scrutiny of claims used by food and FMCG companies in product labelling, packaging and advertising. FSSAI has been examining claims that could give consumers an exaggerated impression about the attributes or quality of food products. The issue is particularly relevant to categories such as honey, edible oils, dairy products, health foods and organic products, where claims relating to purity and natural origin are commonly used in consumer communication.
Dabur has a significant presence in honey and other consumer health and food categories. Its petition challenges the application of the FSSAI restrictions to such claims and seeks judicial consideration of the regulator’s order. The Delhi High Court’s decision on the matter will determine the next course of action on Dabur’s challenge to FSSAI’s restrictions on absolute claims.
