FSSAI Cracks: 3 Legal Cases Filed Over Baby Food Violations and Misleading Claims
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India's apex food safety regulator, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), has initiated stringent legal proceedings against FMCG major Nestle India Limited over alleged regulatory breaches involving its infant nutrition portfolio. The regulatory crackdown centers on deficiencies in essential nutrient composition and the use of prohibited promotional claims across online retail platforms. Following the regulatory announcement on Friday afternoon, investor sentiment took an immediate hit, causing Nestle India shares to tumble nearly 1.82 percent to trade around Rs 1,347 on the domestic bourses, down over Rs 25 from its prior close of Rs 1,372.
Misleading Claims on NAN Excella Pro Stage 1 and Lactogen Pro 1 Flagged
The regulator launched an intensive audit into children's food formulations and marketing collaterals listed across major e-commerce platforms. Officials identified explicit marketing claims on NAN Excella Pro Stage 1 regarding five human milk oligosaccharides (HMOs) and specialized whey protein, alongside promotional messaging on Lactogen Pro 1 highlighting the easy digestibility of whey protein. The FSSAI underscored that such commercial promotions directly violate Regulation 4(2) governing infant nutrition, which strictly forbids marketing tactics aimed at artificially inflating infant food sales, while also breaching Section 3 of the Infant Milk Substitutes (IMS) Act of 1992 that prohibits the advertising and promotion of infant formulations.
Substandard Biotin Levels Detected in Referral Lab Tests Prompt 3 Legal Cases
Beyond digital marketing breaches, laboratory evaluations of a Nestle India follow-up formula sample revealed that the product contained significantly less biotin than the legally prescribed threshold mandated under the Food Safety and Standards for Infant Nutrition Regulations. To confirm the non-compliance, the regulatory body dispatched duplicate samples to an accredited appellate referral laboratory, where secondary testing corroborated that biotin concentrations fell short of mandatory statutory requirements. In light of the marketing violations and substandard nutritional content, the FSSAI has formally registered three separate legal cases against Nestle India Limited across the three identified products.
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