NEW DELHI: The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) on Wednesday issued notices to Nestle India and Zydus Wellness over alleged misleading claims and non-compliant promotions in products including Complan, Lactogen Pro 1 Powder and Nan Excella Pro Stage 1.The regulator has asked the companies to provide scientific evidence to substantiate the claims made in their product labels and advertisements.In a social media post, FSSAI said it had issued notices to Nestle India over claims made for Lactogen Pro 1 Powder and Nan Excella Pro Stage 1, and to Zydus Wellness Products Ltd over advertisements for Complan.FSSAI questioned the claim that Lactogen Pro 1 Powder contains whey protein, described in its labelling and advertising as a milk protein that is easy to digest.The regulator has asked Nestle India to provide scientific evidence supporting the claim.For Nan Excella Pro Stage 1, FSSAI flagged the claim that “5 HMOs help support the normal immune system”, saying it could imply that the product is suitable for supporting the immune system.The regulator said the claim was considered non-compliant with provisions restricting claims relating to the prevention, alleviation, treatment or cure of diseases and certain physiological conditions, unless specifically permitted under applicable regulations.FSSAI also sought scientific substantiation for the product’s claim that it contains whey protein. Nestle India has been directed to explain why action should not be initiated against it under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006.A Nestle India spokesperson said, “FSSAI’s recent post reiterates the points raised in its earlier post of September 18 regarding product labels. We have already submitted our detailed response to FSSAI on these matters.”For Zydus Wellness’ Complan, the regulator flagged claims including “2X Faster Growth”, “Supports Concentration and Memory” and “Pro Immunity+ 34 Vital Nutrients”, displayed alongside images of two children on the product label.FSSAI said the claims violated the Food Safety and Standards (Advertising and Claims) Regulations, 2018. It also flagged the advertisement claim “growth comes in 4 flavors” as violating the regulations.The regulator has directed Zydus Wellness to provide scientific justification for the claims and show cause within the stipulated period as to why action should not be taken against the company.(With agency inputs)
