Dabur India has approached the Delhi High Court against the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India's (FSSAI) prohibition order barring the sale of food products carrying claims such as "100 per cent Pure," "100 per cent Natural," "100 per cent Purity Guaranteed," and "100 per cent Organic." The matter was mentioned before a bench comprising Chief Justice DK Upadhyay and Justice Tejas Karia. The court accepted the request for urgent listing and scheduled the matter for hearing on Friday.
The legal challenge comes after FSSAI issued a prohibition order directing Dabur to immediately stop selling food products carrying what it described as misleading "100 per cent" claims. The regulator also instructed the company to submit an Action Taken Report (ATR) within 15 days.
In a post on X, FSSAI stated, "FSSAI has issued a Prohibition Order directing M/s Dabur India Limited to immediately cease the sale of food products carrying misleading "100 per cent" claims. FSSAI made note of several non-compliances, carrying misleading "100 per cent" claims, such as "100 per cent Natural", "100 per cent Pure," "100 per cent Purity Guaranteed," "100 per cent Organic" and "100 per cent Tender Coconut Water."
The food regulator said such declarations violate the Food Safety and Standards (Advertising & Claims) Regulations, 2018, arguing that these expressions are ambiguous, cannot be independently verified and have the potential to mislead consumers.
Apart from objecting to the marketing claims, FSSAI also identified other alleged regulatory violations involving certain Dabur products.
Regulator Flags Organic And Purity Labelling
According to FSSAI, Dabur Himalayan Organic Apple Cider Vinegar and Dabur Organic Honey displayed the Jaivik Bharat logo despite lacking a valid FSSAI organic endorsement, which the authority said was contrary to the Food Safety and Standards (Organic Foods) Regulations, 2017.
The regulator also objected to Dabur Homemade Coconut Milk being marketed with the claim "100 per cent Purity," stating that such a representation is not permissible for compound food products.
FSSAI further stated that despite issuing an earlier notice asking the company to discontinue the disputed "100 per cent" claims, it was not satisfied with the corrective measures taken by Dabur, leading to the prohibition order.
Responding to the regulator's action, Dabur maintained that its product labels comply with applicable laws and industry norms. The company stated, "Dabur India Limited believes that the declaration on our product labels comply with the prevailing legal and regulatory framework and are consistent with long-standing industry practices. Dabur stands by the purity and quality of its products and has never made any misleading claims."
"However, as a good corporate citizen, Dabur had already initiated transitioning of the product labels as mentioned in the FSSAI letter to new labels/advertisements without the 100 per cent claim. Most product labels/ advertisements/ website as mentioned in aforesaid order, have either already transitioned or are in the process of transition. The company is responding accordingly to FSSAI and the company will continue to engage constructively with them to resolve the matter. We reiterate that Dabur stands by the purity and highest standards of quality of its products and does not make any misleading claims. We continue to maintain the highest standards of quality, food safety and regulatory compliance in the manufacture and sale of its products. Dabur is also seeking legal advice on the future course of action," it added.
Deepankar Malviya is a senior reporter covering legal news. With a background on law, he has a special interest in the politico-legal landscape of the… View More