Food Safety Body Sent Five Prior Notices Before Penalising Misleading Dabur Claims

The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has defended its decision to bar consumer goods giant Dabur from selling food products bearing labels such as "100% Pure," saying the action was not abrupt and was taken only after multiple rounds of regulatory communication, including five improvement notices issued to the company between 2024 and 2026. The regulator's defense comes after the Delhi High Court stayed its August 3 order that had prohibited the sale of a range of Dabur food products carrying such "100%" labels.

The dispute centers on an FSSAI directive issued on August 3, which barred Dabur from marketing products using claims such as "100% Pure," "100% Natural," and "100% Purity Guaranteed." The regulator maintained that such declarations are ambiguous, unverifiable, and potentially misleading to consumers. The prohibition order covered several widely sold products, including Dabur Honey, Dabur Honey Squeezy, Dabur Sunderbans Honey, Dabur Himalayan Apple Cider Vinegar, Dabur Virgin Coconut Oil, Dabur Cow Ghee, Real Activ 100% Tender Coconut Water, Dabur Hommade Coconut Milk, and Dabur Organic Honey.

Dabur challenged the order before the Delhi High Court, arguing that it had been issued without a show-cause notice or any opportunity for the company to be heard, in violation of principles of natural justice. Senior advocate Sandeep Sethi, appearing for Dabur, contended that the company had marketed its products using such descriptions for decades and argued that the regulator lacked the authority to impose a blanket prohibition in the manner it had adopted. Dabur further alleged in its petition that the order served the interests of rival manufacturers and put inventory worth approximately ₹150 crore at risk.

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After hearing arguments from both sides, Justice Amit Mahajan found that Dabur had established a prima facie case warranting interim relief and stayed the FSSAI's prohibitory order until the next hearing, scheduled for August 24. The court observed that the regulator should not have passed an order with such significant commercial consequences without first granting Dabur an opportunity to be heard. Following the stay, Dabur said in a stock exchange filing that it had already begun removing the disputed "100%" claims from its labels and advertisements, while maintaining that its original declarations complied with the prevailing legal and regulatory framework and were consistent with long-standing industry practice.

Representing FSSAI, Central Government Standing Counsel Ashish Dixit pushed back against Dabur's characterization of the process, telling the court that an improvement notice had indeed been issued to the company prior to the prohibitory order. Dixit also pointed to an earlier, related dispute concerning Dabur's use of "100%" claims on fruit juice products, in which the High Court had previously declined to grant the company interim protection, suggesting a pattern of regulatory concern regarding the company's labeling practices that predates the current dispute.

FSSAI's latest defense, emphasizing the five improvement notices sent over roughly two years, appears aimed at countering Dabur's central legal argument that it was denied due process, by demonstrating a documented history of regulatory engagement with the company well before the prohibitory order was issued in August. The regulator's action against Dabur has also coincided with a broader crackdown on unverifiable marketing claims across the food and beverage industry, including separate directives requiring energy drink manufacturers to drop the term "energy drink" from their labels, signaling a wider regulatory push toward stricter, evidence-based advertising standards across the sector. The matter remains pending before the Delhi High Court, with the interim stay in effect until the case is next heard.

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