Regulator Questions Baby Food Claims for Lactogen Pro and NAN Excella Pro
The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has initiated formal regulatory action against FMCG major Nestle India, demanding clear justification regarding promotional claims made on three prominent infant nutrition products. The regulatory probe scrutinizes marketing assertions associated with NAN Excella Pro Stage-1, Lactogen Pro-1, and an associated follow-up formula line. In response to the scrutiny, Nestle India affirmed that its complete infant nutrition portfolio remains fully compliant with domestic food safety mandates, reiterating that the company is actively cooperating with the regulatory body. Nevertheless, news of the regulatory intervention sent ripples across capital markets, dragging Nestle India's shares down 1.4 percent to settle at ₹1,353.10 on the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE). In an unrelated simultaneous enforcement drive, the central food authority also issued an immediate 15-day operational license suspension against Paradise Distilleries after unearthing major compliance infractions during on-site inspections.
Misleading Nutrient Assertions Under Scrutiny: FSSAI Flags 5HMO and Whey Protein Claims
The primary crux of the FSSAI's inquiry centers on specific promotional claims highlighting '5HMO' (Human Milk Oligosaccharides) and specialized whey protein concentrations in NAN Excella Pro Stage-1, alongside claims of 'easy-to-digest whey protein' featured on packaging and digital marketing collateral for Lactogen Pro-1. Official laboratory evaluations of physical marketplace samples, cross-referenced against promotional displays on various e-commerce storefronts, exposed significant discrepancies. According to the food safety watchdog, these branding tactics violate Regulation 4(2) of the Food Safety and Standards (Foods for Infant Nutrition) Regulations, 2020, which explicitly forbids advertising or promotional claims designed to artificially incentivize the commercial sale of infant milk substitutes. Furthermore, the authority cited direct infringements of Section 3 of the Infant Milk Substitutes, Feeding Bottles and Infant Foods (Regulation of Production, Supply and Distribution) Act, 1992, which enforces stringent prohibitions against the commercial marketing of infant nutrition products.
Echoes of 2015 Maggi Crisis: Regulatory Pressures Resurface for Nestle India
The unfolding dispute revives memories of Nestle India’s high-profile confrontation with the central regulator in 2015, when the company faced a nationwide recall and temporary ban on its flagship Maggi instant noodles over allegations of excessive lead content and labeling anomalies concerning monosodium glutamate (MSG). Although that ban was subsequently overturned after extensive re-testing across accredited independent laboratories cleared the noodles for market re-entry, the current probe places the packaged food giant under heightened regulatory and public scrutiny once again. With legal and regulatory bodies sharpening their focus on baby food formulations and deceptive health claims across digital storefronts, all eyes remain on Nestle India's forthcoming technical clarification to the apex food authority.