The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has directed Dabur India to stop selling several food products carrying "100 per cent" claims, stating that such labeling violates food advertising regulations and has the potential to mislead consumers.
The regulator said products marketed on Dabur's website were found displaying claims such as "100 per cent Natural," "100 per cent Pure," "100 per cent Purity Guaranteed," "100 per cent Organic," and "100 per cent Tender Coconut Water." According to FSSAI, these claims are ambiguous, unverifiable and contrary to the provisions of the Food Safety and Standards (Advertising and Claims) Regulations, 2018.
The products under scrutiny include honey, cow ghee, edible oils, virgin coconut oil, sesame oil, apple cider vinegar, coconut water, coconut milk, and other similar food items. Among them, Dabur Hommade Coconut Milk was specifically cited for being marketed with the claim "100 per cent Purity."
In a post on social media platform X, FSSAI stated that the use of such claims could mislead consumers by implying absolute purity or superiority without any regulatory basis. The authority emphasized that the term "100 per cent" is not defined under the existing food regulations, making such claims non-compliant.
The regulator also noted that Dabur Himalayan Organic Apple Cider Vinegar and Dabur Organic Honey were found displaying the Jaivik Bharat logo without a valid FSSAI organic endorsement, which is a violation of the Food Safety and Standards (Organic Foods) Regulations, 2017.
According to FSSAI, the company had previously been issued a notice regarding these violations but failed to take satisfactory corrective action. Consequently, the food regulator has now instructed Dabur to immediately prohibit the sale of the concerned food products and submit an Action Taken Report (ATR) within 15 days detailing the corrective measures adopted.
Responding to the development, Dabur India said it has received the notice and is reviewing the concerns raised by the regulator.
"We have received the FSSAI notice and are in the process of checking the content mentioned in the notice on our website," the company said in a statement.
The latest action follows an earlier advisory issued by FSSAI in May 2025, in which the regulator had urged all food business operators to refrain from using "100 per cent" claims on product labels, packaging and promotional materials. The advisory clarified that such expressions are undefined under current regulations and may create misconceptions among consumers regarding complete purity, authenticity or quality.
The development also comes weeks after the US Food and Drug Administration (US FDA) reportedly flagged manufacturing lapses at Dabur's Silvassa manufacturing facility in June, adding to the regulatory scrutiny faced by the company.
FSSAI's action underscores its increasing focus on ensuring truthful advertising and preventing misleading claims in the food sector. The regulator has repeatedly emphasized that product labels and promotional statements must be scientifically substantiated and fully compliant with food safety regulations to safeguard consumer interests.
With the latest directive, food manufacturers may face closer scrutiny over marketing practices, particularly the use of absolute claims that cannot be independently verified under existing regulatory standards.
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