Food Authority Issues Notice To Horlicks Drinks Over Misleading Women's Health Claims

The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has issued notices to Hindustan Unilever over allegedly misleading claims made for two Horlicks products: Women's Plus Chocolate Nutrition Drink and Mother's Plus Kesar.

Women's Plus: Bone Strength And "Healthy Muscles" Claims Flagged

In the case of Horlicks Women's Plus Chocolate Nutrition Drink (400 gm), the food safety authority found several claims that were allegedly misleading or did not comply with applicable regulations. These included claims such as “nutrition for strong bones”, “clinically proven to help improve bone strength in 6 months” and “improves bone health”. The claim “healthy muscles” was also found to be in violation of rules governing the use of the term “healthy” in food claims.

No Added Sugar: Claim Questioned Over Maltodextrin

The authority also flagged the “no added sugar” claim, considering it misleading in view of the presence of maltodextrin in the product. It found that the nutritional information table was not presented in the prescribed format.

Nutrition Label: Non-Compliant Nutritional Information

The claim that the product provides 100% of the recommended dietary allowance (RDA) of calcium, vitamin D and K2 was also found to be non-compliant with applicable food safety requirements.

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Mother's Plus: "Healthy Birth Weight" Claims Flagged As Misleading

In a separate case, FSSAI flagged claims made for Horlicks Mother's Plus Kesar (400 gm BIB).

The authority said its examination of the complaint, product label, advertisements and listing on the concerned e-commerce platform revealed several non-compliances.

The claim “healthy birth weight” on the product label and the phrase “for baby's healthy birth weight” in an advertisement were found to be potentially misleading and in violation of the Food Safety and Standards (Advertising and Claims) Regulations, 2018. According to the authority, the phrase “healthy birth weight” could give the impression that the food itself provides health benefits, which is not permitted under the regulations.

Brain Development: Pregnancy And Lactation Claims On E-Commerce Listing Found Non-Compliant

FSSAI also flagged the use of the phrases “for pregnancy and lactation”, “with protein for birth weight” and “DHA for brain development - no added sugar” as part of the product name on the e-commerce platform. These expressions were found to be contrary to the requirements specified in the notice.

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Show-Cause Notice: HUL Asked To Respond To FSSAI Within The Stipulated Period

Hindustan Unilever has been directed to submit a response to the notice within the stipulated period. The concerned licensing authorities and e-commerce platforms have also been asked to take necessary action under applicable food safety laws.