Nestlé and other Indian brands face FSSAI action over insect contamination claims

India’s Food Safety and Standards Authority (FSSAI) has issued show‑cause notices to several high‑profile companies after social‑media complaints raised product‑safety concerns. Nestlé India was asked to submit an Action‑Taken Report after a consumer posted evidence of live insects and larvae in a packet of Maggi noodles. The regulator also served notices to KFC India for alleged hygiene lapses at an outlet in Eluru, Andhra Pradesh, and to Flipkart India and the packaged‑food brand Open Secret over reports of insects in the “Un‑junked Dates” product sold on the e‑commerce platform.

The notices require the firms to detail the source and batch information, immediate corrective actions taken, and steps to prevent recurrence. FSSAI clarified that the notices are part of a preliminary investigation and do not constitute a final finding of wrongdoing. This episode underscores the growing influence of viral consumer complaints on regulatory scrutiny in the Indian food sector.

Nestlé’s Maggi brand, which previously faced a nationwide recall in 2015 over lead content, is again under regulatory observation, highlighting the reputational and potential commercial implications of such food‑safety alerts.