Dabur India challenges FSSAI ban on ‘100% Pure’ food claims in Delhi High Court

Dabur India FSSAI 100% claim ban Delhi High Court food labeling

The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) issued a prohibition order on 3 August directing Dabur India Ltd to stop selling a range of food products that carry “100 % Pure”, “100 % Natural”, “100 % Purity Guaranteed”, “100 % Organic” or similar claims. The order covered items such as honey, cow ghee, virgin coconut oil, sesame oil, apple cider vinegar, coconut water and coconut milk, which the regulator said could mislead consumers because the absolute claims are ambiguous and unverifiable.

Dabur filed a petition in the Delhi High Court arguing that the order was imposed without a show‑cause notice or an opportunity to be heard, violating principles of natural justice. The company maintains that its products meet world‑class quality standards and that the disputed wording is a technical description, not a safety issue. Dabur has begun revising labels, advertisements and online listings to remove the contested “100 %” statements.

The High Court listed the case for urgent hearing and, in a later order, stayed the FSSAI prohibition pending further proceedings, noting that Dabur has sold the products for decades. The regulator, however, reiterated that the claims are misleading under the Food Safety and Standards (Advertising and Claims) Regulations, 2018. The dispute follows similar challenges by other Indian FMCG firms against recent FSSAI enforcement actions.

Entities

Bagpiper · Dabur India Ltd · Delhi High Court · Food Safety and Standards (Advertising and Claims) Regulations, 2018 · Food Safety and Standards Authority of India · Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) · McDowell's · Old Monk · PIE Foods · Rajiv Dubey · Royal Challenge

Claims

What the coverage asserts, and how many sources carry each claim.

[○ 1 SOURCE] FSSAI clarified that its seal confirms a product meets safety and quality parameters but does not verify marketing claims on packaging. www.aajtak.in
[● 5 SOURCES] Dabur must submit an Action Taken Report to FSSAI within 15 days of the prohibition order. www.aajtak.in · www.newsnationtv.com · hindi.news18.com · www.ibtimes.co.in
[● 5 SOURCES] The affected products include honey, ghee, coconut water, apple cider vinegar, virgin coconut oil, sesame oil, coconut milk and other items. www.aajtak.in · www.newsnationtv.com · hindi.news18.com · www.ibtimes.co.in
[● 5 SOURCES] FSSAI issued a prohibition order directing Dabur India Ltd to immediately cease sale of food products carrying misleading “100%” claims. www.aajtak.in · www.newsnationtv.com · hindi.news18.com · www.ibtimes.co.in
[● 3 SOURCES] FSSAI found unauthorised use of the “Organic India” logo on Dabur’s organic apple cider vinegar and organic honey, breaching the Organic Foods Regulations 2017. www.newsnationtv.com · hindi.news18.com
[● 5 SOURCES] Dabur had previously received a notice to remove the misleading 100% claims but failed to take satisfactory corrective action. www.aajtak.in · www.newsnationtv.com · hindi.news18.com · www.ibtimes.co.in
[● 5 SOURCES] The claims in question were “100% natural”, “100% pure”, “100% organic”, “100% purity guaranteed”, and “100% tender coconut water”. www.aajtak.in · www.newsnationtv.com · hindi.news18.com · www.ibtimes.co.in
[● 5 SOURCES] FSSAI said such claims violate the Food Safety and Standards (Advertising & Claims) Regulations 2018. www.aajtak.in · www.newsnationtv.com · hindi.news18.com · www.ibtimes.co.in
[○ 1 SOURCE] US FDA issued a Warning Letter to Dabur for systemic data‑integrity and cGMP failures at its OTC drug manufacturing facility in India.
[○ 1 SOURCE] FDA identified deliberate falsification of equipment usage logs and inadequate cleaning validation at the facility.