New Delhi: FMCG major Dabur India has approached the Delhi High Court challenging the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India’s (FSSAI) directive prohibiting food companies from using claims such as “100% Pure,” “100% Natural,” “100% Purity Guaranteed,” and “100% Organic” on product packaging and labels.
According to a report by Bar & Bench, the matter was mentioned for urgent hearing by Senior Advocate Sandeep Sethi before a Bench comprising Chief Justice Devendra Kumar Upadhyaya and Justice Tejas Karia. The court accepted the request and agreed to hear the petition on an urgent basis.
The legal challenge follows FSSAI’s recent directive aimed at curbing the use of absolute “100%” claims in food branding. The regulator has maintained that such statements are ambiguous, difficult to substantiate and could mislead consumers by creating an exaggerated perception of a product’s purity, quality or composition.
The restriction applies across several food categories where purity and natural-origin claims are widely used as key marketing differentiators, including honey, cow ghee, virgin coconut oil, sesame oil, apple cider vinegar, coconut water and coconut milk.
The case comes against the backdrop of increased regulatory oversight of advertising, labelling and packaging practices within India’s food and FMCG sectors. Over the past year, authorities have stepped up scrutiny of product claims that could potentially misrepresent ingredients, health benefits or quality standards to consumers.
FSSAI’s latest action forms part of a broader regulatory push to strengthen compliance around food marketing and consumer protection. While industry participants argue that expressions such as “100% pure” and “100% natural” have long been used to communicate sourcing standards and product positioning, the regulator contends that absolute claims require robust scientific substantiation and are often difficult to verify objectively.
The dispute carries significant implications for the FMCG industry, particularly brands operating in categories such as honey, edible oils, dairy products, organic foods and health-focused products, where purity claims have traditionally played a central role in brand communication.
For Dabur, the issue is especially relevant given its strong portfolio in honey and other health-oriented consumer products, where messaging around purity and natural ingredients has been a longstanding element of its marketing strategy.
The outcome of the case is expected to have broader ramifications for the industry. If the High Court upholds FSSAI’s directive, food companies may need to revise product packaging, advertising campaigns and marketing communications that rely on absolute purity or naturalness claims. Conversely, a ruling in Dabur’s favour could provide greater legal clarity on the permissible use of such claims under India’s food safety and labelling regulations.
