O
n Sunday, the Indian food regulator decided to do something unusual – it published a report card. The Indian food regulator FSSAI announced that six companies have made corrective measures including withdrawal of false claims and trademarks after issuance of notices to these companies for violation of the law.
In its recent post on X, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India informed that six Food Business Operators have promptly taken corrective measures after being targeted by the regulator, including withdrawing false claims and even relabeling their products.
It is a routine, procedural announcement. However, it is also the latest data point in the regulatory crackdown on what Indian food brands can put on their packaging.
The most elaborate case FSSAI presented was about a snack brand that was selling roasted edamame beans. The FSSAI claimed that Livyor Ventures Pvt Ltd had withdrawn the deceptive claim that the products are "vegan & healthy," giving its reply in connection with the claims found on the label of their product, Livyor Roasted Edamame Beans.
The defense put forth by the company was rather candid—in its reply, the FBO acknowledged that the claims "vegan" and "healthy" have accidentally been printed on the product label due to lack of knowledge about relevant regulations.
Livyor did not stop at simply correcting itself, but the company has gone ahead and sent the new label design while declaring that it will destroy its entire packaging material carrying the false claims.
However, what stood out from this particular instance of enforcement was not an alteration of the labeling scheme but rather a complete change in identity of two firms.
As per the posts made by FSSAI on X, Honest Innovations For You Private Limited and Heliostone Specialties Private Limited took the necessary corrective measure after it was realized that they were operating under a misleading trademark, and thus, had changed their identities after getting notice from the regulatory body.
Another firm named Rajasthan Agro & General Industries had also been reported to be operating under a misleading trademark, and thus, it had removed all misleading content and stopped using 'ppm' i.e., parts per million in relation to its product.
The sixth set of companies involved two instances of product standard issues as opposed to brand language.
The first of these is that of Iota Nanotechnology Pvt Ltd where the company has deleted false statements on the label as well as discontinuing production of water that is not standardized. This means that this company has discontinued a product line and not just changed the language used in their labeling.
The second example is that of Panchamurtha Industries Pvt Ltd which was previously issued a notice regarding their electrolyte drink.
It is not about the six firms themselves but rather about the trend that they represent. Indeed, FSSAI has expanded its efforts to enforce food laws dramatically recently, going much further than simple inspections.
and from banning the "100 percent" claims on such products as honey, ghee, and edible oils to targeting alcoholic beverages and energy drinks.
In 2026, FSSAI has clearly taken a different approach in its enforcement activities—it has ceased being a regulatory authority performing sporadic spot checks and turned into an aggressive agency that fights loose terminology in the whole packaged food sector.
This becomes more obvious when one looks closer at other victims of this aggression. FSSAI has been looking into allegations of misleading claims by such big and recognizable brands as The Whole Truth, Marico, and MasterChow in order to promote science-based information on the rapidly growing Indian health food market. Interestingly enough, the founder and CEO of The Whole Truth Shashank Mehta has admitted in his LinkedIn video that his chocolate package's "no added sugar" label can be interpreted differently and that his firm will switch to "sweetened with dates" labeling, although the ingredients will not change.
The names of brands under scrutiny for false claims are as varied as the aisles in Indian grocery stores. MasterChow Foods has been quizzed on "100% Natural" and "Freshly Made"; Param Dairy has been asked to elaborate on its stock control practices owing to the claims that curd and rabri sent through IRCTC were infected with fungi;
Emami Healthy & Tasty was issued a notice about the misleading nature of the product title; six beverage firms, Sting Energy and Hell Energy included, have been summoned for calling their products "energy drinks"; and Organic Wisdom, which claimed that its products are organic despite lacking certification, has been put on notice.
Even a big brand like Heritage Foods, a well-known dairy firm, has not been left alone. It was asked to remove the word "fresh" from its packaging because, apparently, "fresh" is not recognized as a part of the food standard prescribed for paneer.
Le Casa has been notified for calling its hazelnut spreads "All Natural"; Healthy Master and Troovy were quizzed on the use of the word "Healthy;" while The Healthy Factory has been summoned for labeling products "Zero Maida" even though they contain wheat gluten.
Those following the trend argue that it is an indication of a fundamental shift as opposed to a one-off drive. Rahul Anil Khanna, the founder and managing partner of regulatory and law firm RAKLaw based in Noida, says that the spate of notices issued by the FSSAI is a result of increased surveillance combined with a greater public interest in food safety issues resulting from the rising consumer awareness, development of processed food industry and increased scrutiny of products' claims and labelling.
To put it simply, this is not only a case of increased rigidity on the part of the authorities but also their response to the Indian consumer who has become much more conscious about the labels and claims on the package.
Legally speaking, all of the above measures are based on already existing regulation rather than any newly introduced legislation. According to the Food Safety and Standards (Labelling and Display) Regulations, 2020, labels shall be neither "false, misleading, nor deceptive," shall create no "erroneous impression" about the food, and shall denote the "true nature" of the product. In 2026, there is no change in the regulatory framework; however, there is one difference in FSSAI's enforcement approach, especially when it comes to posting the findings on social media.
FSSAI’s crackdown hasn’t been limited to labels and marketing descriptions alone; it’s now even spreading to the factory floor.
As recently as July, FSSAI has revoked licenses from Dior Pharmaceuticals and Rehaan Healthcare following an inspection which revealed serious lapses in GMPs (Good Manufacturing Practices), GHPs (Good Hygiene Practices), and Food Safety Management Systems in terms of hygiene, pest management, storage, and documentation systems.
Both companies have been asked to stop manufacturing any products at all till they achieve compliance; far more stringent measures than just changing labels on the packaging alone.
