Nestle, Unilever face action in India over misleading health claims

Nestle said its products were compliant with regulations. (Reuters pic)

NEW DELHI: India’s food regulator has issued notices to Nestle India Ltd and Hindustan Unilever Ltd for allegedly making misleading claims regarding nutrition supplements, extending its nationwide safety crackdown.

Nestle’s “resource renal vanilla flavour powder” was intended as a dietary supplement to manage a medical condition, but the company neither sought prior approval nor displayed a label to indicate whether the product was vegetarian or non-vegetarian, according to an X post by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India.

The regulator also said Hindustan Unilever’s ‘Horlicks’s Mother’s Plus Kesar 400 g BIB’ made misleading claims over “happy birth weight”, while its ‘Horlicks Women’s Plus’ products listed “improves bone health”, “healthy muscles”, “no added sugar” as benefits.

"Both companies were in contravention of its rules,"the regulator said, seeking responses from the manufacturers.

Nestle India did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Sunday.

Hindustan Unilever said in an emailed response that its two products comply with all applicable requirements, adding that it will share “scientific and regulatory evidence” with the authorities.

Over the past few months, India’s federal food regulator has initiated action against food manufacturers, hotels, restaurants, and e-commerce platforms over misleading labels, inappropriate marketing, running illegal units, and for improper food storage practices.

Local agencies have also stepped up their scrutiny after social media complaints over poor product standards.

The food regulator had initiated legal action against Nestle India in September for breaching infant nutrition marketing rules and substandard manufacturing.

Nestle said at the time that its products were compliant with regulations.