FSSAI orders immediate ban on Venolex Forte, suspends Matri Drinking Water licence
New Delhi, Aug 3
The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India on Monday intensified its enforcement drive against food safety violations by suspending the licence of Matri Drinking Water in Tripura and issuing a prohibition order against Noble Healthcare, Mohali, Punjab, over serious violations of food safety regulations.
In the case of Noble Healthcare, the food safety regulator has prohibited the manufacture, storage, distribution and sale of its product Venolex Forte with immediate effect under Section 36(3)(b) of the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006.
"FSSAI has suspended license of Matri Drinking Water, Tripura & has issued prohibition order to Noble Healthcare, Punjab for serious food safety violations," it said in a post on social media platform X.
"FSSAI continues to maintain strict enforcement across food sectors to protect consumer health," it added.
According to FSSAI, the action was taken after multiple critical non-compliances were detected during regulatory scrutiny.
The regulator said the product contained ingredients that are not permitted under the applicable food safety regulations. It also observed that the Vitamin C content in the product was 90 mg, which appears to exceed the Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) prescribed under the ICMR-NIN Guidelines, 2020.
FSSAI further stated that Venolex Forte contains pharmacologically active ingredients, including Calcium Dobesilate, Diosmin and Euphorbia Prostrata, which are not permitted ingredients under the Food Safety and Standards (Health Supplements, Nutraceuticals, Food for Special Dietary Use, Food for Special Medical Purpose, Functional Food and Novel Food) Regulations, 2022.
The regulator also found that the product was marketed as a "Dietary Food Supplement" while prominently displaying an FSSAI licence number below the product name. According to FSSAI, this created a misleading impression that the product had been specifically approved or endorsed by the food regulator.
In addition, the product's labelling and overall presentation were found to be misleading, causing confusion regarding its legal and regulatory status and potentially misleading consumers about its compliance with FSSAI requirements.
FSSAI said the product was prima facie non-compliant with provisions governing the manufacture and marketing of food products and food supplements under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, and the regulations framed under it.
— IANS
Reader Comments
This is concerning but I'm glad action is being taken. The bigger issue is that many smaller brands get away with such violations for years. FSSAI needs to crack down on ALL such companies, not just a few. Why did it take so long to discover these non-compliances? We need more proactive inspections and random checks across the country.
The real problem is that Ayurvedic and herbal supplements are consumed by millions daily with complete trust. When companies misuse this trust by adding unapproved pharmaceutical ingredients, it erodes the faith in the entire industry. Matri Drinking Water too - you can't even trust plain water now! Shame on these companies.
The 90mg Vitamin C exceeding RDA is shocking. Many people don't realise that excess vitamins can be harmful too. The labelling tricks they used - calling it "Dietary Food Supplement" while showing FSSAI number prominently - is classic consumer deception. I hope this sets a precedent for stricter enforcement.
FSSAI doing a good job here. In the US, FDA would have issued a recall notice for this. The companies know exactly what they're doing - adding active pharmaceutical ingredients to supplements to make them work "better" and build a loyal customer base. The health risks are real. Indians need to be more aware about what they consume.
Does FSSAI have enough manpower and labs to actually check all these products? This is just one case - there are thousands of supplement brands in India claiming miracle benefits. We need a proper national registry and QR codes on every product so consumers can verify what they're buying.
We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.