FSSAI Takes Legal Action Against Nestle India Over Infant Nutrition Products

Regulatory Scrutiny on Nestle's Infant Nutrition Line

New Delhi: The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has announced that it is pursuing legal measures against Nestle India Ltd due to alleged violations of food safety regulations concerning three of its infant nutrition products.

FSSAI's investigation focused on NAN Excella Pro Stage 1, Lactogen Pro 1, and a follow-up formula, along with their marketing materials found on e-commerce sites.

The authority raised concerns about claims made regarding '5HMOs' and 'Whey Protein' in NAN Excella Pro Stage 1, while Lactogen Pro 1 was criticized for stating that 'Whey Protein' is easy to digest, as noted in a recent social media update.

FSSAI has requested explanations from Nestle India regarding these promotional claims.

Both products were identified as violating Regulation 4(2) of the Food Safety and Standards (Foods for Infant Nutrition) Regulations, 2020, which limits promotional claims intended to boost the sales of infant foods, as well as Section 3 of the Infant Milk Substitutes, Feeding Bottles and Infant Foods (Regulation of Production, Supply and Distribution) Act, 1992, which prohibits advertising or promoting such items.

Additionally, a laboratory analysis revealed that a sample of a follow-up formula produced by Nestle India did not meet the required Biotin content. A subsequent analysis confirmed this non-compliance with the Biotin standards set forth in the 2020 regulations.

As a result of these findings, FSSAI has initiated three separate adjudication cases against Nestle India concerning the three products.

As of 1:10 PM, Nestle India's shares had dropped nearly 2% to Rs 1,345.45 on the Bombay Stock Exchange.