Health promise on the packet, deception inside! Companies are cheating customers even after FSSAI warning

While buying goods in the market, most of us rely on what is written on the front of the packet. 100% natural, no added sugar, heart healthy, organic. Seeing these words, it seems that we are buying the right thing for health, but if we read the material written behind these products, sometimes the whole story turns out to be different.

The country’s food regulator FSSAI has recently sent notices to many food brands. However, the biggest question is that the rules are already in place and warnings have also been issued, yet how are such things being sold so easily in shops and apps?

The truth behind the claim on the front of the packet

• In June 2026, FSSAI served notices to several companies simultaneously. The complaints were almost identical. It was written on a mango juice that there was no added sugar but the ingredients were found to be 51% mango pulp and 39% sugarcane juice, meaning the sweetness is coming from the sugarcane juice.
• A noodles brand was claiming to be made from 100% natural and organic flour but it turned out to be plain flour inside.
• A tofu product had claims such as anti-cancer properties which could not be made without written medical approval.
• The words Heart Pro and pictures of a heart on a cooking oil were meant to make the consumer believe that the oil would directly improve heart health.

This is a legal challenge

There is no definition of the word 100 percent in the Food Law i.e. FSS Act and Advertising and Claims Regulation. This means that when a company writes 100%, it is not clear what it is 100% about (purity, fruit, being natural) and you cannot claim anything that is not clear.

Questions raised on children’s favorite Kinder Joy

Children’s favorite Kinder Joy. On the front of its packet it is written ‘Rich in Milk Solids’ i.e. rich in milk. Parents read this and think, let’s get some milk into the child’s stomach, but then turn the same packet. You will find sugar and fat and milk portion very low, very less. In this also the rule of the list is that the thing which is most important is written first. FSSAI has put its finger on exactly this and said that when milk is not the main thing, then declaring it as full is misleading the customer.

FSSAI has issued notices to several food business operators (FBOs) for violating provisions of the FSS Act, 2006 regarding misleading brand names, trade names, and product claims, labeling violations and other consumer complaints.
FBOs are directed to take corrective measures. pic.twitter.com/QSb1UNZ3Gm

— FSSAI (@fssaiindia) June 19, 2026

Clear warning had come a year ago

This is not happening for the first time. FSSAI has issued an official advisory on 28 May 2025 which is signed by the Director of Regulatory Compliance. In this letter, the regulator clearly said that the use of the word 100% on food packets and advertisements has increased rapidly and this word is misleading. FSSAI says that whether written alone or with any other word, writing 100% creates a false belief in the customer’s mind about complete accuracy and superiority over others. On this basis, all companies were instructed to remove this word from labels, packaging and promotions.

Market picture did not change even after instructions

Even after a year of warning, the situation did not change much. An investigation revealed that the regulator had identified more than 160 misleading claims at different times, the oldest case of which was from 2022, but about 120 of these products are still being sold with the same claims, which were declared false, that is, even after the objection was registered, the packaging remained the same. Even the government’s own Economic Survey 2026 acknowledged that there are many rules against misleading food advertisements but their enforcement is very weak. However, companies also have their own side. He has been saying that his cases have been closed with full adherence to the rules. A cooking oil company has also said that its claims are correct as per law and on scientific basis and it is giving a detailed reply to the regulator.

What rights does the customer have?

Under the FSS Act 2006, no company can mislead the customer for its own benefit. If something else is written on the front of the packet and the contents inside reveal something else, then it is a violation and a complaint can be made. If the violation is proved, there is a provision of heavy fine on the company and in serious cases, even cancellation of license. Therefore, make it a habit to read the list of ingredients written at the back along with the big claims on the front of the packet. Do not blindly accept words like 100%, natural, pure and healthy as true.

Also read: Risk of oral cancer is increasing rapidly among youth, tobacco-vaping is becoming fatal, know the symptoms.

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