Bengaluru: Dabur India, maker of products such as Chyawanprash, Honey, Pudin Hara, Hajmola and Real fruit juices, on Tuesday said it has begun removing “100%” claims from the labels, advertisements and website pages of products flagged by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), even as it maintained that the claims complied with existing regulations.In a stock exchange filing, the company said it received FSSAI’s prohibitory order on Aug 3 and is seeking legal advice on the matter.The regulator restricted the sale of certain Dabur products carrying claims such as “100% Natural”, “100% Pure”, “100% Purity Guaranteed” and “100% Organic”. The products named in the order include honey, apple cider vinegar, virgin coconut oil, sesame oil, cow ghee, coconut water and coconut milk.FSSAI said such absolute claims could be misleading as they are difficult to substantiate and may create a false impression among consumers.Dabur, however, disputed the regulator’s findings, saying its declarations were in line with the prevailing legal and regulatory framework and reflected long-standing industry practice.“Dabur stands by the purity and quality of its products and has never made any misleading claims,” the company said.At the same time, it said it had already initiated changes to product labels, advertisements and digital content.“Most product labels, advertisements and website pages mentioned in the order have either already transitioned or are in the process of transition,” the company said, adding that it would respond to FSSAI and continue discussions with the regulator to resolve the matter.Dabur said FSSAI had earlier issued a notice on April 8 over the use of the claim “100% Pure” on one of its products. The company said it had clarified that the claim was not being used on the label of the product referred to in the notice.It also said the latest order pertains only to the wording and descriptions used on a few product labels and does not question the quality, safety or purity of the products.The company said the financial and operational impact of the order is limited to the products identified by the regulator. It added that it is evaluating its legal options and appropriate course of action.
