FSSAI issues notices to Lotte India, Kubera Foods, FNP over misleading claims
New Delhi, July 8
The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India has issued notices to Lotte India Corporation Private Limited, Kubera Foods and Ferns N Petals Private Limited over alleged misleading claims and labelling violations on various food products, the regulator said on Wednesday.
In a post on social media platform X, the food regulator said it has directed the companies to submit their explanations within seven days as to why action should not be initiated against them.
The regulator said Lotte India Corporation was found to have used non-compliant pre-printed labels carrying its old company name without prior approval. It also flagged the '100 per cent vegetarian' claim on certain Choco Pie variants as misleading.
The regulator further observed that the company's PEPERO Crunchy Biscuit Sticks Carton and PEPERO Original Biscuit Sticks did not provide nutritional information in the prescribed format, while its Lolly Bliss lollipops did not comply with the prescribed vitamin levels under the FSS (Advertising and Claims) Regulations.
In addition, FSSAI said Lotte's FRUITZ Eclairs products carried a name that could create a misleading impression as they do not contain fruits, while the mandatory disclaimer required under the regulations was missing from the front of the pack.
Moreover, the regulator issued a notice to Kubera Foods over alleged misleading claims on its 'Soft and Fresh Cream Bun Pineapple' product.
According to the regulator, the product carried front-of-pack claims such as '100 per cent Natural' and 'No Preservatives, Colours & Flavours', despite the label declaring the presence of preservative (INS 282), synthetic food colour (INS 110) and added flavouring substances.
The regulator said the claims 'Pure', 'Fresh' and 'Natural' violated the provisions governing the use of such terms under the FSS (Advertising and Claims) Regulations.
Additionally, Ferns N Petals was served a notice over alleged misleading claims and labelling deficiencies related to its 'Roasted Almond Chocolate' product.
FSSAI said the product was marketed as 'Premium Chocolate' despite containing hydrogenated vegetable fat and not carrying the mandatory declaration required for chocolates containing vegetable fat in addition to cocoa butter.
The regulator also observed that the product label did not disclose the Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) values in the nutritional information panel and failed to mention the percentage of almonds used in the ingredient list despite prominently displaying almonds on the packaging.
FSSAI has directed all three companies to submit their explanations within seven days, failing which action may be initiated under the provisions of the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006.
— IANS
Reader Comments
I'm actually shocked about FRUITZ Eclairs not containing real fruit. My kids love those! And the claim on Choco Pie being '100% vegetarian' - seriously? We Indians are very particular about our vegetarian/ non-vegetarian labels. Companies should be more responsible. FSSAI doing good work here.
While I appreciate the action, I think FSSAI needs to be more proactive rather than reactive. These products have been on shelves for months, maybe years. Also, notice how they go after smaller companies more often? But big players like Lotte also deserve scrutiny. Good that they're being called out now.
The 'Ferns N Petals' chocolate thing is interesting - marketing 'Premium Chocolate' when it's made with hydrogenated vegetable fat is just wrong. We pay premium prices thinking we're getting quality, but turns out it's just clever packaging. FSSAI should also check the labelling on smaller bakery items, they often make similar claims.
This is a global issue. In India, the food labelling is often confusing. I remember buying Pepsi Zero and being surprised it didn't have the required nutritional info clearly. At least FSSAI is taking steps. The 7-day notice is good, but hope they follow through with real consequences.
I work in the food industry, and let me tell you, many companies get away with such practices because consumers don't check labels. That '100% Natural' claim on Kubera Foods' cream bun is laughable - how can a cream bun with preservatives be natural? 😂 FSS
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