New Delhi: In a major setback to the fast moving consumer goods giant Dabur India, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India has directed the company to immediately halt the sale of several food products over misleading promotional claims. The national food regulator found the company using unverified assertions like 100 percent natural, 100 percent pure, and 100 percent organic, which clearly violate existing advertising regulations and break consumer trust.
The sweeping regulatory order applies to a wide range of popular daily use items manufactured by the brand. The extensive list of affected products includes honey, apple cider vinegar, virgin coconut oil, sesame oil, desi ghee, coconut water, and coconut milk. The food regulator has asked the company to completely stop the sale of these specific items across the market. Furthermore, Dabur has been instructed to submit an Action Taken Report within a strict deadline of 15 days, detailing the exact steps implemented to comply with this stringent directive.
According to the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India, Dabur was actively making absolute claims of 100 percent purity and completely natural origin on its official website as well as on product packaging. Under the Food Safety and Standards Advertising and Claims Regulations of 2018, such absolute claims are considered highly ambiguous. The regulator stated that these sweeping assertions cannot be fully scientifically verified and are ultimately designed to mislead innocent retail consumers who rely on brand packaging for accurate nutritional information.
During the detailed investigation, regulatory officials uncovered specific branding violations across multiple premium items. The company was found using the official Jaivik Bharat logo on its Himalayan Organic Apple Cider Vinegar and Organic Honey without actually possessing the mandatory organic certification from the food authority. Similarly, the 100 percent purity claim printed prominently on the Homemade Coconut Milk packaging was flagged for directly breaking established transparent packaging norms.
This sudden crackdown comes after the authority had previously issued a formal warning notice to the manufacturer to rectify their packaging. However, the regulatory body noted that Dabur failed to implement satisfactory corrective measures, prompting this severe escalation. This decisive action serves as a strong reminder to all major retail brands operating in the country that deceptive marketing tactics will face strict regulatory consequences. Everyday consumers are now advised to be more cautious while reading product labels, as the national regulator continues its active drive to ensure absolute transparency in the packaged food sector.