The Delhi High Court has stayed an order issued by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) that had prohibited the sale of a Dabur product over claims carrying the term '100%'. According to latest reports, the interim relief allows the FMCG major to continue selling the product pending further hearings in the case. Dabur approached the court after FSSAI directed the company to halt the sale of the product, arguing that the packaging and labelling did not comply with regulatory requirements governing food claims. The company challenged the regulator's decision, contending that the order would adversely affect its business and consumers. The High Court granted a stay on the FSSAI order and sought responses from the regulator, providing temporary relief to Dabur while the legal challenge is adjudicated. Justice Amit Mahajan observed that Dabur had made out a prima facie case for interim relief, particularly on the ground that the prohibition was imposed without adequate notice or an opportunity of hearing. The court also noted that Dabur challenged the authority of the concerned officer to impose such a prohibition, while FSSAI opposed the stay by submitting that it had previously issued an improvement notice requiring the company to discontinue or modify the disputed claims.
The FSSAI action covers multiple Dabur 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 per cent Tender Coconut Water, Dabur Hommade Coconut Milk and Dabur Organic Honey. As reported by Moneycontrol, Dabur has said the order puts inventory worth ₹150 crore at risk of destruction. The company also questioned the inclusion of Dabur Hommade Coconut Milk and Dabur Cold Pressed Sesame Oil in the order, saying the products did not carry a '100%' claim on their labels. According to the latest reports, the order affects 11 major products, including Dabur Honey, Dabur Virgin Coconut Oil and Réal Activ Coconut Water. The regulator prohibited sales with immediate effect and demanded an action-taken report within 15 days without issuing a prior show-cause or improvement notice. The authority noted that Dabur Himalayan Organic Apple Cider Vinegar and Dabur Organic Honey displayed the official Jaivik Bharat logo without valid organic endorsement under the 2017 Organic Foods Regulations, while Dabur Hommade Coconut Milk carried a '100% Purity' claim, which is strictly prohibited for compound foods comprising multiple processed ingredients. The regulator specifically directed Dabur to immediately withdraw food products carrying allegedly misleading '100%' claims, including '100% Natural', '100% Pure', '100% Organic' and '100% Purity Guaranteed', finding these terms to be ambiguous, unverifiable, and potentially misleading to consumers in contravention of the FSS (Advertising & Claims) Regulations, 2018.
In a statement to ETBrandEquity, Dabur India maintained that its product labels comply with the prevailing legal and regulatory framework and are consistent with long-standing industry practices. The FMCG giant said 'Dabur India believes that the declaration on our product labels comply with the prevailing legal and regulatory framework and are consistent with long-standing industry practices. Dabur stands by the purity and quality of its products and has never made any misleading claims.' At the same time, the company has already begun transitioning the affected product labels, advertisements and website pages to remove the '100%' claim, while continuing to engage with FSSAI on the matter. According to ETBrandEquity, Dabur declined to share an official comment at the time of publication but has since started removing the '100%' claim from most labels, advertisements, and websites in response to the order. Industry experts emphasize that 'Trust is built over years and dented in a single news cycle' - once a brand is associated with a controversy, consumers can carry that perception into how they view other products and future claims as well.
FSSAI's action reflects a broader regulatory crackdown across the Indian food and beverage landscape, with the authority actively monitoring social media and online marketplace channels to identify non-compliant operators. The regulator has in recent years tightened oversight of food labelling and marketing practices, particularly claims relating to purity, nutrition and health benefits. According to ETHealthworld, the authority noted that terms like '100% Pure' or '100% Natural' are ambiguous, unverifiable, and likely to mislead consumers under the Food Safety and Standards Advertising and Claims Regulations of 2018. The enforcement action signals that compound food items consist of multiple ingredients or processed components, making absolute single-attribute claims legally impermissible. The dispute comes as FSSAI has intensified scrutiny of claims made by consumer brands, particularly those relating to purity, natural ingredients and other product attributes. The case highlights the growing regulatory focus on product labelling and consumer disclosures in India's FMCG sector, with companies increasingly facing scrutiny over advertising claims as authorities seek to strengthen consumer protection standards.
