India’s food safety authority issued formal notices to Nestle India, Zydus Wellness and Abbott Healthcare this week over marketing claims on infant and children’s products that breached national rules.
The enforcement actions rattle an Indian packaged food market valued at more than $100 billion as regulators intensify oversight of nutritional claims.
The move comes shortly after officials proposed prohibiting added sucrose and fructose in foods intended for infants up to six months old.
The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India ordered Nestle India to produce documented evidence supporting promotional assertions about digestive health and immune system benefits. Those claims appear on labels for Lactogen Pro 1 Powder and NAN Excella Pro Stage 1 infant formula.
For Zydus Wellness, the regulator demanded scientific substantiation for marketing claims attached to its Complan children’s beverage brand. Regulators singled out promotional packaging using the slogan “grow taller, faster. Clinically proven 2X growth.”
Enforcement also expanded into digital media distribution channels. The regulator issued separate notices to online influencer Ira Fathima alongside Abbott Healthcare and Nestle India concerning an Instagram reel promoting infant milk substitutes.
Nestle India stated that the authority’s public notice repeated concerns initially raised on September 18 regarding product packaging labels, adding that it had already delivered an extensive formal response to the food regulator.
Abbott took a different position, stating it played no role in the social video campaign. “Abbott does not endorse the claims or representations contained in the content,” a company spokesperson said, adding that the healthcare firm only learned of the material after receiving the authority’s notice and had forwarded that explanation to officials.
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