The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has intensified its crackdown on potentially misleading claims used on food product labels, packaging and advertisements. Several food businesses, including Amway India, Emami, Bonn Biscuits, Apis India, Juza Foods and Masterchow Foods, have taken corrective action following regulatory intervention.
The latest action highlights FSSAI’s growing focus on ensuring that food marketing is transparent and does not give consumers an exaggerated or potentially misleading impression about a product.
Why Is FSSAI Targeting “100%” Claims?
The regulator has raised concerns over the use of absolute terms such as “100%” on food labels, packaging and promotional material when such wording could mislead consumers.
Terms such as “100% pure,” “100% natural” or similar absolute claims can create an impression of complete purity or superiority. FSSAI’s enforcement action is aimed at ensuring that food businesses use claims that are accurate, appropriate and capable of being substantiated.
Amway India Removes “100% Pure Coconut Oil” Claim
Amway India Enterprises had used the claim “100% Pure Coconut Oil” for one of its products.
Following regulatory intervention, the company confirmed that it had voluntarily removed the term “100%” from its packaging and promotional materials. Amway also informed FSSAI that older stock carrying the claim had been discontinued from sales channels.
The company is expected to progressively introduce revised packaging.
Emami Takes Corrective Action on Zandu Honey
Emami Ltd. was also asked to address a “100%” claim associated with its Zandu Honey product.
According to FSSAI, Emami complied with the regulator's advisory and took corrective action concerning the claim.
Apis India Removes Similar Honey Claims
Apis India also removed similar “100%” claims from its honey products following regulatory intervention.
The action demonstrates that the regulator's scrutiny is not limited to one particular company or food category but extends across different types of packaged food products.
Bonn Biscuits Removes “100%” Advertisement Claim
Bonn Biscuits Pvt. Ltd. had used a “100%” claim in an advertisement for its Bonn Cummin Flavor Jeera Bite Biscuits, 76 gm.
Following FSSAI's intervention, the company removed the claim from its website.
Juza Foods and Masterchow Also Make Changes
The corrective action extended to other food businesses as well.
Juza Foods, based in Kerala, removed “100%” claims from various baby food products, while Masterchow Foods Pvt. Ltd. removed a similar claim from its Ramen Noodle product.
What Does This Mean for Consumers?
The latest FSSAI action is significant for consumers because food labels and advertisements play an important role in purchasing decisions.
Consumers often rely on terms such as “100% pure,” “100% natural” and “100%” to judge the quality or composition of a product. Increased regulatory scrutiny means companies may need to provide more precise and substantiated information rather than relying on broad marketing claims.
For consumers, this reinforces the importance of looking beyond promotional statements and checking the ingredient list, nutrition information, manufacturer details and other information provided on the packaging.
What Does It Mean for Food Businesses?
The crackdown is also a reminder for food manufacturers, brands, retailers and marketers to review their:
- Product packaging
- Product names
- Websites and e-commerce listings
- Social media advertisements
- Promotional campaigns
- “Pure,” “natural” and “100%” claims
- Other claims that could influence consumer perception
Businesses should ensure that claims used in marketing communications comply with applicable food safety and labelling requirements and can be appropriately substantiated.
FSSAI’s Broader Enforcement Drive
The latest action forms part of a wider enforcement effort by FSSAI against food businesses over potentially misleading labels, claims and advertisements. The regulator has recently announced corrective action by several other companies following notices concerning labelling and advertising issues.
The developments indicate that food labelling and advertising compliance is becoming increasingly important in India's packaged food industry.
Final Takeaway
FSSAI's action against Amway India, Emami, Bonn Biscuits, Apis India, Juza Foods and Masterchow Foods sends a clear message: food companies need to be careful about how they describe their products.
The removal of “100%” claims does not necessarily mean that the products themselves are unsafe. Rather, the regulatory action focuses on how products are represented to consumers through labels, packaging and advertising.
As enforcement increases, food businesses will need to pay closer attention to their marketing language and ensure that product claims are clear, accurate and compliant with applicable regulations.
