FSSAI is issuing notices to food brands using unverifiable claims like 'natural', 'healthy', and 'no added sugar' on labels, citing existing nutrition claim regulations.
FSSAI has issued notices to several food and nutraceutical companies for using unsubstantiated health and nutrition claims on product labels, with flagged products including a mango juice marketed as 'no added sugar' that declared 49% sugarcane juice in its ingredient list.
The action, reported on 22 June 2026, targets a wide range of products sold across India. Instant noodles carrying '100% natural' branding, a tofu product claiming 'anti-cancer properties', a cooking oil sold under the name 'Heart Pro', whey protein supplements, herbal products, and a 'natural paneer' brand are among those that received regulatory notices. The crackdown comes days after FSSAI separately questioned claims like 'organic' and 'zero maida' on other products, pointing to a broader shift toward active enforcement of FSSAI's existing regulations on nutrition and health claims.
Former FSSAI CEO Pawan Kumar Agarwal told the Times News Network that the notices are the first step in a verification process and do not constitute proof of wrongdoing. He attributed the uptick in enforcement to rising consumer complaints and growing scrutiny on social media, and noted that reputational damage tends to deter companies more than monetary penalties.
What changed
The regulations themselves are not new. FSSAI's Food Safety and Standards (Advertising and Claims) Regulations, 2018 already prohibit food businesses from making nutrition or health claims that are false, misleading, or unverifiable. What appears to have changed is the pace of enforcement.
The mango juice case is the clearest illustration of the gap between label and reality. A product declaring 49% sugarcane juice in its ingredients cannot credibly claim 'no added sugar', because sugarcane juice is a direct source of free sugars. The claim is not technically about refined white sugar, but the net effect on blood glucose is comparable, and the label creates what consumer health researchers call a 'health halo', a perception of healthfulness that the product's actual composition does not support.
Dr Arun Gupta, convener of Nutrition Advocacy in Public Interest, said labels like 'healthy', 'natural', and 'no added sugar' routinely make ultra-processed foods appear better than they are. Dr V Mohan, chairman of Dr Mohan's Diabetes Specialities Centre in Chennai, made the same point specifically about 'no added sugar': the absence of added refined sugar does not make a product safe for people managing blood glucose, particularly when naturally occurring sugars from fruit concentrates, honey, or cane juice are present in significant quantities.
Monita Gahlot, dietician at AIIMS, named 'fat-free', 'multigrain', 'immunity booster', 'heart healthy', and 'superfood' as the claims most likely to mislead shoppers. Each of these terms has a precise regulatory meaning under FSSAI rules, or in some cases no defined meaning at all, which is precisely the problem. A product labelled 'multigrain' may contain multiple grains but still be predominantly refined flour. 'Immunity booster' has no approved definition under Indian food law.
In a separate action, FSSAI issued notices to Bikanervala over alleged hygiene lapses and to Param Dairy over complaints of fungal contamination in dairy products supplied through IRCTC catering services. These are distinct from the labelling enforcement but signal that the regulator is running parallel tracks on both safety and claims.
What buyers and cooks should do
The practical implication for anyone shopping for clean-label or health-oriented products in India is straightforward: the front of the pack is marketing, the back of the pack is data.
For 'no added sugar' products, check the ingredient list for sugarcane juice, fruit juice concentrate, honey, agave, date syrup, coconut sugar, and maltodextrin (a partially hydrolyzed starch that raises blood sugar faster than table sugar). Any of these can appear in a product that legally or loosely claims 'no added sugar' while still delivering a significant glycaemic load.
For 'natural' claims, FSSAI's 2018 advertising and claims regulations specify that 'natural' may only be used for single-ingredient foods that have not been processed beyond what is necessary for safety or preservation. A product with five or more ingredients, or with added flavours, cannot legitimately carry that label. If a brand is using 'natural' on instant noodles or a multi-ingredient snack, that is a red flag worth reporting to FSSAI's consumer helpline (1800-112-100).
For health claims like 'heart-friendly', 'anti-cancer', or 'immunity booster', FSSAI maintains a list of permitted health claims. A claim not on that list is not approved. The tofu product flagged for 'anti-cancer properties' is a direct example: no whole food has an approved anti-cancer health claim under Indian food law, and making such a claim on a packaged product is a regulatory violation regardless of what the underlying science on soy isoflavones or any other compound might suggest.
For home cooks and restaurant buyers sourcing ingredients, the safest shortcut is to favour products with short ingredient lists where every item is recognisable without a chemistry background. A block of tofu with soybeans, water, and a coagulant needs no health claim. A cooking oil with one ingredient needs no 'Heart Pro' branding. The claim is often a signal that the product needs the marketing more than the nutrition warrants it.
FSSAI has not yet released a full public schedule of all products under review or the timeline for adjudication on the current notices. Until that information is available, the notices should be read as the start of a process rather than confirmed findings.