Nestle India faces legal action over infant formula claims

The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has initiated legal action against Nestle India regarding alleged violations involving three infant nutrition products. The regulator filed three separate adjudication cases following a review of promotional materials on e-commerce platforms and laboratory testing.

The FSSAI flagged marketing claims for NAN Excella Pro Stage 1 and Lactogen Pro Stage 1, specifically regarding statements about “whey Protein” and “5 HMOs” natural sugars. The regulator stated these claims may violate regulations intended to restrict promotional messaging that increases the saleability of infant foods. Additionally, laboratory analysis found a sample of a Nestle follow-up formula to be sub-standard due to insufficient Biotin content.

A spokesperson for Nestle India rejected the allegations of non-compliance, stating that their infant nutrition products and labels were previously approved by an FSSAI expert committee. The company maintained that its products are “fully compliant” with all applicable regulations and that the disputed label statements are factual and supported by scientific literature.