Notice to 8 companies including Emami for making misleading claims:FSSAI said- Names like ‘Zero Maida Bread’ and ‘True Vitamin’ violate rules

The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) on Sunday issued show-cause notices to 8 major food companies in the country. These companies are accused of making misleading claims to consumers in their product brand names, trade names, and advertisements. The regulator has clarified that keeping such misleading names is strictly prohibited under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006. Let’s understand this entire action in detail through a QA Question 1: Why has FSSAI taken this major action and what is the main issue? Answer: Many companies in the market are using brand names or trade names to sell their products that provide incorrect information to customers. The regulator found that these 8 Food Business Operators (FBOs) were violating the provisions of the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006. They were making claims that did not match the quality of their products. Question 2: Which 8 companies have been served notice by the regulator? Answer: The companies that FSSAI has informed about issuing notices through its official social media handles are named as follows: Question 3: What are the allegations against ‘Emami Healthy Tasty’, a company of Kolkata’s Emami Group? Answer: The biggest and most prominent name in this action is ‘Emami Healthy Tasty’, the cooking oil division of Kolkata-based Emami Group. According to FSSAI, the trade name of this brand can mislead consumers. The regulator said that this name, at first glance, appears to be contrary to the FSSAI’s enforced regulations, as it directly claims the product to be ‘healthy’ which is not true without any concrete evidence. Question 4: What objection was raised to ‘The Healthy Factory’s ‘Zero Maida’ claims? Answer: ‘The Healthy Factory’ sells its products under the name ‘Zero Maida Whole Wheat Bread’. FSSAI investigation revealed that this bread contains ‘wheat gluten’ along with chakki fresh atta (freshly ground flour). Despite this, promoting it as ‘Zero Maida’ is misleading to consumers. Furthermore, the same objection was raised regarding the company’s ‘Zero Maida Pizza Base’, stating that this claim is a complete violation of regulations. Question 5: What irregularities were found regarding ‘Plan B’ company’s vegan (vegetarian) products? Answer: The company named ‘Plan B’ was selling its products in the market calling them ‘Plant Based Vegan’. According to FSSAI rules, it is necessary to obtain ‘Vegan Food Endorsement’ approval in one’s FSSAI license to declare any product as vegan and promote it. This company had not taken any such approval, yet it made customers feel that their products were certified vegan. Question 6: What deficiency was found in the brand names ‘True Vitamin’ of Newherbs and Health Aid? Answer: Newherbs company has an entire product line named ‘True Vitamin’. FSSAI stated that a trade name like ‘True Vitamin’ is neither defined nor recognized under any FSSAI regulation. The use of such unrecognized terms can mislead customers. Similarly, the brand name ‘Health Aid’ was also flagged on the grounds that this name creates confusion about the product. Question 7: What are the allegations against ‘Truevie’, a company that makes snacks for children and adults? Answer: Troovy company sells a range of snacks, which includes ‘Healthy Mix Veggie Chips’, ‘Healthy Ragi Chips’ and ‘Healthy Moong Dal Chips’. The regulator found that these chips also contain several other types of ingredients, but the company is selling them by prominently using only the word ‘Healthy’. According to FSSAI, making such a direct claim of ‘Healthy’ amidst the presence of other ingredients is misleading. Question 8: Which slogans and products of ‘Healthy Master’ and ‘Healthy Choice’ have been targeted by the regulator? Answer: FSSAI has deemed ‘Healthy Master’s’ tagline “Vision to Serve Healthy” as suspicious. Additionally, an objection has been raised against ‘Healthy Choice’s’ product “Healthy Food for Healthy Life Poha”. The regulator states that these taglines and names create an impression in customers’ minds about the product’s healthy nature, which has not been fully substantiated. Question 9: After the notice has been issued, what options do these companies have now, and what will be the further course of action? Answer: These notices issued by FSSAI are ‘show cause’ notices. This means that all these 8 companies will have to submit their clarification or response to the regulator within a stipulated time. Companies will have to prove why their names or claims are not misleading. If companies are unable to provide a satisfactory answer, FSSAI can impose a fine on them, stop the sale of their products, or even suspend/cancel their food license.