The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has issued a prohibition order against Dabur India Ltd., directing the company to stop selling certain food products carrying allegedly misleading claims, according to an official statement released on Tuesday.
The food regulator has instructed the FMCG company to immediately stop the sale of products carrying 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."
According to FSSAI, these claims were found to be ambiguous, unverifiable, and likely to mislead consumers. The regulator said such claims violate the Food Safety and Standards (Advertising and Claims) Regulations, 2018.
FSSAI also observed that Dabur Himalayan Organic Apple Cider Vinegar and Dabur Organic Honey displayed the Jaivik Bharat logo without a valid FSSAI organic endorsement, allegedly violating the Food Safety and Standards (Organic Foods) Regulations, 2017.
Additionally, Dabur Hommade Coconut Milk was marketed with the claim "100 per cent Purity," which the regulator said is not permitted for compound food products.
The regulator stated that despite issuing an earlier notice directing the company to discontinue the misleading "100 per cent" claims, satisfactory corrective action was not taken.
FSSAI has now directed Dabur to immediately stop the sale of the identified products and submit an Action Taken Report (ATR) within 15 days.
Following the development, shares of Dabur India fell more than 2 per cent to Rs 414.60 on the BSE during morning trade, touching an intraday low. The stock has a 52-week low of Rs 401.05 and a 52-week high of Rs 576.80.
Over the past year, Dabur's stock has declined by more than 20 per cent, while it has fallen nearly 30 per cent over the last five years.
With Inputs From IANS
