The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has issued a prohibition order to Pie Foods and passed an adjudication order against AWL Agri Business Limited after detecting serious violations of food safety and regulatory requirements. According to FSSAI reports, the action against Pie Foods relates to the sale of Monk Fruit Extract Sweetener and Monk Fruit Sweetener Drops without complying with FSSAI licensing and regulatory requirements. During an inspection, officials found several cartons of these products carrying labels stating they were marketed by Pie Foods, but the company did not have a valid 'Relabeller' Kind of Business (KoB) endorsement on its FSSAI licence. As per FSSAI's social media platform X, the company was operating an e-commerce website without obtaining the mandatory e-commerce KoB endorsement on its licence. In a social media post on Friday, FSSAI informed that it has issued a prohibition order to Pie Foods regarding sale of Monk Fruit Extract Sweetener and Monk Fruit Sweetener Drops.
The food business operator was also found to be running an e-commerce website without obtaining the mandatory e-commerce KoB endorsement on its licence. As reported by FSSAI, the product labels did not carry mandatory declarations and featured claims such as '100% Monk Fruit Extract' and 'Natural Ingredients.' The company's e-commerce website also displayed the claim 'Doctor Recommended.' According to the food safety regulator, these claims appeared to violate the Food Safety and Standards (Labelling and Display) Regulations, 2020, and the Food Safety and Standards (Advertising and Claims) Regulations, 2018. The prohibition order is part of the regulator's enforcement action to ensure that food businesses comply with licensing, labelling, advertising and food safety requirements before marketing products to consumers.
Under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, Pie Foods was directed to immediately stop selling Monk Fruit Extract Sweetener and Monk Fruit Sweetener Drops containing monk fruit extract. The company was told to obtain a valid FSSAI central licence with the required endorsements, as well as secure the necessary approval for the non-specified food ingredient (Monk Fruit Extract). The prohibition will remain in place until the company obtains a valid FSSAI central licence with the required endorsements and secures the necessary approval for monk fruit extract as a non-specified food ingredient in accordance with the provisions of the Act. FSSAI has issued a Prohibition Order to M/s PIE FOODS and an Adjudication Order against M/s AWL Agri Business Limited after detecting serious violations of food safety and regulatory requirements.
Separately, an adjudication order was passed against AWL Agri Business Limited's Mangalore unit for manufacturing and marketing substandard fortified edible oil sold under the Fortune 'Fryola' brand. According to FSSAI reports, FSSAI had collected a one-litre sample of Fortune 'Fryola' Refined Sunflower Seed Oil from Taj Fort Aguada Resort & Spa in Goa. The primary food laboratory found that the fortified edible oil did not conform to the standards prescribed under the Food Safety and Standards (Fortification of Foods) Regulations, 2018, with laboratory tests showing that the levels of Vitamin A and Vitamin D were below the prescribed limits. The Adjudicating Officer in Goa passed an order imposing a penalty on AWL Agri Business Limited for manufacturing and marketing substandard fortified edible oil under the provisions of the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, though the penalty amount was not disclosed by FSSAI. Responding to the action, AWL Agri Business said it has not yet received a certified copy of the order. The company said the issue relates to the fortification level of Vitamin D in a single sample and is not a product safety concern, adding that the oil was safe for consumption. It also noted that added vitamins are sensitive to storage conditions, light and time, and said it is reviewing the order and will pursue appropriate legal remedies while remaining committed to complying with FSSAI norms.
Following an appeal by the marketer, the sample was analysed by a referral laboratory which confirmed that the Vitamin D content was significantly below the prescribed range, affirming that the product was substandard. The Central Licensing Authority subsequently granted sanction for prosecution, following which an adjudication application was filed. The Adjudicating Officer in Goa passed an order imposing a penalty on AWL Agri Business Limited for manufacturing and marketing substandard fortified edible oil under the provisions of the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006. In recent months, FSSAI has intensified its crackdown on Food Business Operators and e-commerce platforms for various violations, with energy drink and alcoholic beverage manufacturers also coming under regulatory scrutiny. Earlier, the food regulator had suspended the food business licence of Switz Foods Private Limited after an inspection of its manufacturing facility uncovered serious violations of food safety and hygiene norms.
