Tezzbuzz Desk: If you also buy any food product after seeing words like healthy, organic, vegan, zero flour and vitamins, then this news is very important for you. The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has come down heavily on many food brands and companies that were over-hyping their products. The authority has issued notices to many companies and sought answers.
accused of misleading customers
According to FSSAI, many companies were using such words in the names and advertisements of their products which could confuse consumers. The investigation found that many products did not live up to their claims. Some companies did not even have the necessary certificates and documents. This has been considered a violation of the rules of the Food Safety and Standards Act 2006.
Most objection to the word healthy
The regulator has raised questions on names like Healthy Master, Healthy Choice, Healthy Life Poha and Healthy Mix Veggie Chips. FSSAI says that just adding ‘healthy’ to the name does not make a product healthy. Many products have been found to contain ingredients that do not prove them to be completely healthy, so this claim may mislead customers.
Vegan and organic claims also under scrutiny
FSSAI has accused some companies of misuse of the words vegan and organic. The Plant B-Based Vegan brand received the notice because it did not have the necessary licenses and approvals for vegan food. Whereas brands like Organic Wisdom, Shine Organic and Two Brothers Organic Farms have been accused of using the word organic without organic certification.
Questions on zero flour and vitamin claims also
FSSAI has also raised objection regarding The Health Factory’s flour-free whole wheat bread and zero flour pizza base. According to the authority, wheat flour and gluten were present in these products, due to which the claim of zero flour was considered misleading. Similarly, the word True Vitamin used in Newherbs True Vitamin was also found not to be in accordance with the rules.
Action on juice and packaged water also
The action was not limited to just snacks and healthy food. Questions were also raised on Storia Juice Pomegranate because its name gives the impression that it contains complete pomegranate juice, whereas only 4% pomegranate juice concentrate was found in it. FSSAI has also expressed objection to the claims made by Lota Water regarding minerals in its packaged water.
Strict instructions given to companies
FSSAI has directed all concerned companies not to make such claims in the names, labels and advertisements of their products that may mislead consumers. The regulator said that it is the responsibility of the companies to provide correct and transparent information to the customers. Also, it has been asked to strictly follow the rules in future.
Big step in the interest of customers
Health experts believe that nowadays the use of words like healthy, organic and vegan has increased rapidly for marketing. In such a situation, this action of FSSAI is being considered an important step towards protecting the interests of customers and increasing transparency in the food industry.
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