Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has informed the Delhi High Court that fast-moving consumer goods giant Dabur’s ‘100% fruit juice’ claim on its packaging is misleading to customers. The food regulator, in an affidavit submitted to the high court, highlighted that such claims are not permitted under the existing Food Safety and Standards (Advertising and Claims) Regulations, 2018, Moneycontrol reported.
The next hearing of the case is set to take place on July 7.
“The matter is pending consideration before the Delhi HC and the next date of hearing is July 7. No interim relief has been granted to Dabur yet,” Moneycontrol reported, citing a source.
FSSAI argued in court that numerical descriptions and claims like “100%” give consumers a false picture regarding the product’s composition, especially as the juice is reconstituted or contains added ingredients such as water. The regulator cited views of the scientific panel on Labelling and Claims/Advertisements shared during its 47th and 49th meetings and backed its argument that Dabur’s claim breached Regulation 2.3.6 of the Food Safety and Standards (Food Products Standards and Food Additives) Regulations, 2011.
Dabur reportedly refuted the food regulator’s claim and argued that the FSSAI’s stance is legally unsound and is because of a lack of proper understanding of the existing rules. The FMCG major said its reconstituted juices, including Real Activ, were manufactured by adding water to the fruit concentrate to restore natural juice composition without added sugar. The entire juice production process adhered to FSSAI standards and hence the “100% Fruit Juice” label is justified, the company added.
The case against the FMCG major began after FSSAI had issued an order for food business operators (FBOs) to remove claims such as “100% Fruit Juices” from the labels of their products and refrain from using them in advertisements in June last year.
