The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has informed the Delhi High Court that Dabur India’s labeling of its fruit juice products as “100% juice” contravenes existing food safety regulations. According to FSSAI, such claims are misleading, especially when the juice is reconstituted from concentrates with added water, rather than being made from pure, undiluted fruit juice.
The authority emphasised that the Food Safety and Standards (Advertising and Claims) Regulations, 2018, do not permit “100%” claims for such products. FSSAI has told the Court that the claim on its packaging is not permitted under existing food safety regulations, and called it misleading to consumers, according to a report by Moneycontrol.
In June 2024, FSSAI issued a directive to all Food Business Operators (FBOs) to remove “100% fruit juice” claims from labels and advertisements of reconstituted fruit juices.
The directive highlighted that such claims are misleading, particularly when the primary ingredient is water and the fruit content is present in limited concentrations. FBOs were instructed to comply with the standards specified under the Food Safety and Standards (Food Products Standards & Food Additives) Regulation, 2011, and to exhaust all existing pre-printed packaging materials by September 1, 2024.
In response, Dabur claimed that the FSSAI’s directive is legally unsound and stems from a misunderstanding of the existing regulations. It argued that its reconstituted juices, like Real Activ, were produced by adding water to fruit concentrate, restoring natural juice composition without added sugar. They asserted that this process complied with FSSAI standards, justifying the “100% Fruit Juice” labeling.
FSSAI, in its affidavit, countered that the continued use of the “100%” claim is misleading to consumers, particularly when the product contains added water or is reconstituted from concentrate.
The matter currently is is pending consideration before the HC and the next date of hearing is July 7. It is to be noted that no interim relief has been granted to Dabur yet.