NEW DELHI — In a major regulatory crackdown on deceptive food marketing, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has issued a Prohibition Order against FMCG giant Dabur India Limited, barring the company from selling food products that carry unverified and absolute "100%" claims.

According to a public statement released by the apex food regulator on social media platform X, an inspection of products listed on Dabur’s official e-commerce platform revealed widespread use of absolute claims such as "100% Natural," "100% Pure," "100% Purity Guaranteed," "100% Organic," and "100% Tender Coconut Water."

FSSAI highlighted that such absolute phrasing violates the Food Safety and Standards (Advertising & Claims) Regulations, 2018. The authority noted that these claims are ambiguous, impossible to independently verify, and ultimately mislead everyday consumers into believing products are completely unadulterated or unprocessed.

Unauthorized Organic Logos and Violation on Compound Foods

The regulatory watchdog pointed out specific violations across Dabur's popular product lines:

  • Organic Violations: Products including Dabur Himalayan Organic Apple Cider Vinegar and Dabur Organic Honey were found displaying the government's official "Jaivik Bharat" organic logo without holding valid FSSAI organic endorsements. This breaches the Food Safety and Standards (Organic Foods) Regulations, 2017.

  • Compound Food Mislabeling: Dabur Hommade Coconut Milk was marketed using the phrase "100% Purity." Under current regulations, absolute purity claims are strictly prohibited for compound food products.

The regulator underscored that Dabur had previously been issued notices instructing them to remove the non-compliant "100%" claims, but the company failed to take satisfactory corrective action, necessitating the issuance of the formal Prohibition Order.

Crackdown on Non-Compliant Food Products

The strict action against Dabur comes amid heightened national surveillance by central and state authorities. In a recent disclosure to Parliament, Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare Prataprao Jadhav reported that out of 223,808 food samples analyzed nationwide during FY 2025–26, over 40,000 samples failed compliance standards.

The government confirmed that civil courts settled 31,878 cases with financial penalties, while criminal proceedings yielded 1,918 convictions for severe food safety breaches. Additionally, 15 formal notices have been served to food business operators during FY 2026–27 specifically for violating labelling and display regulations.