FSSAI Notices to 14 Food Brands for Misleading Claims (2026)

On June 14, 2026, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) — the country's apex food regulatory body under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare — issued formal compliance notices to 14 food business operators (FBOs) across India for violating provisions of the Food Safety and Standards (FSS) Act, 2006.

The violations cover a wide spectrum of consumer deception: misleading brand names that imply health benefits without evidence, fake 'organic' labels without a single certification, uncertified 'vegan' claims, a juice product that is 96% not the fruit on its label, a packaged water brand misrepresenting mineral restoration as a health benefit, and snacks calling themselves 'healthy' despite containing refined oils, salt, and synthetic additives.

This is not a product ban. FSSAI has issued compliance notices requiring these brands to immediately stop misleading consumers, correct their labels, and comply with established food safety and labelling regulations. However, failure to comply can lead to product recalls, licence cancellations, and prosecution under the FSS Act — consequences that can permanently damage a brand.

> FSSAI's Official Statement: "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. FBOs are directed to strictly comply with established labelling and display regulations to prevent consumer deception." — Official FSSAI post on platform X, June 14, 2026

For Indian consumers, this is a landmark moment. The brands on this list are not fringe players. They include one of India's most popular cooking oil brands (Emami), a beloved D2C organic farm brand (Two Brothers Organic Farms) with a massive urban following, and a widely distributed packaged juice brand (Storia) sold in supermarkets and QSRs across Tier 1 cities. The FSSAI's action signals that no brand — regardless of size, reputation, or registered trademark — is above India's food labelling law.

Under the Food Safety and Standards (Advertising and Claims) Regulations, 2018 and the FSS Act, 2006, no food business operator is permitted to make claims that are unsubstantiated, undefined, or uncertified. Specifically:

The key legal principle at stake is straightforward: marketing words have legal weight in India's food industry. A registered trademark (™ or ®) does not override FSSAI's labelling rules. A brand name that implies health, purity, or certification must be able to back that claim with approved regulatory evidence — not just marketing intent.

Five brands received FSSAI notices specifically because their brand names or taglines contained the word 'Healthy' or implied health benefits without regulatory justification. Under India's food law, using 'healthy' in a brand name is forbidden unless each product under that name independently meets FSSAI's criteria for nutritional claims — which requires specific nutrient thresholds, scientific substantiation, and regulatory approval.

1. Healthy Master — 'Vision to Serve Healthy'

Healthy Master is an online healthy snacks and food brand popular in India, selling products like makhana (fox nuts), dry fruits, seeds, and roasted snacks. The company aggressively markets itself as a health food destination. However, FSSAI's regulations prohibit unsubstantiated use of the term 'healthy' in brand names because it implies a broad nutritional benefit that may not apply uniformly across all products sold under that name.

The brand name creates a blanket perception of healthfulness that cannot be guaranteed for every SKU. A packet of makhana and a roasted namkeen with added salt and oil cannot both equally be called 'healthy' under the same brand umbrella without each product independently meeting FSSAI's nutrient thresholds. FSSAI's notice requires Healthy Master to substantiate or remove the health-implying brand name from its labelling.

2. Healthy Choice — 'Healthy Food for Healthy Life, Poha'

The trade name 'Healthy Choice — Healthy Food for Healthy Life' is used on a Poha (flattened rice) product. While poha is a relatively light food, attaching the tagline 'Healthy Food for Healthy Life' transforms a simple commodity product into an implied health food — without regulatory clearance. Crucially, the brand stacks two health claims ('Healthy Choice' + 'Healthy Food for Healthy Life') in a single product, compounding the misleading impression. FSSAI found this a direct contravention of applicable regulations — double use of 'healthy' on a basic commodity product without scientific substantiation is not permitted.

3. Health Aid®

The registered brand name 'Health Aid' uses the word 'Aid' in the context of health — strongly implying a medicinal or therapeutic benefit, suggesting that consuming this brand's products will actively aid one's health. Food products in India cannot make implied medicinal claims under the FSS Act. Using a brand name that suggests health correction or therapeutic assistance without FSSAI approval for such claims is a regulatory violation. Critically, the ® (registered trademark) does not grant exemption from FSSAI food labelling rules — a point that many brands misunderstand.

4. Emami Healthy & Tasty (Cooking Oils)

This is the most high-profile brand in the entire FSSAI crackdown. Emami Healthy & Tasty is one of India's well-known edible oil brands, sold across supermarkets and grocery stores nationwide. Cooking oils — being high in calories and fat by their very nature — cannot generically be labelled 'Healthy' unless they specifically meet FSSAI criteria for reduced-fat or nutrient-related claims.

The brand name implies that regular consumption of this oil is 'healthy' — a broad claim that is unsubstantiated and potentially misleading, especially for consumers managing conditions like heart disease, diabetes, or obesity who may interpret the name as regulatory endorsement of the product's safety for their condition. For these consumer groups, the 'Healthy & Tasty' branding could encourage overconsumption of a high-calorie product under a false sense of security.

5. Troovy — Healthy Mix Veggie Chips, Healthy Ragi Chips, Healthy Moong Dal Chips

Troovy is a D2C snack brand targeting health-conscious Indian consumers. Its entire product range is prefixed with 'The Healthy' — an aggressive marketing strategy that positions all its snacks as guilt-free. However, FSSAI's scrutiny revealed that these chips contain additional ingredients — refined vegetable oils, salt, starches, and flavour additives — that undermine the blanket 'healthy' claim on the packaging.

Under FSSAI's Advertising and Claims Regulations, using the term 'healthy' on a product requires that the product meets specific nutrient criteria across all its components — not just its base ingredient. A ragi chip fried in refined oil with added salt and flavour additives cannot legally call itself 'healthy' purely on the basis that ragi is a nutritious grain. The final product's full ingredient profile — including oils, additives, and sodium — determines whether the claim is legally defensible. Troovy's products, as formulated, do not meet that bar.

'Zero Maida' is one of India's most popular and powerful health marketing claims. Indian consumers associate maida (refined wheat flour) with poor nutrition, digestive issues, and weight gain — and brands have capitalised on this anxiety aggressively. The Health Factory registered 'Zero Maida' as a trademark (Zero Maida™) and used it on two products: a whole wheat bread and a pizza base.

Product 6: Zero Maida Whole Wheat Bread

The 'Zero Maida Whole Wheat Bread' claims to contain zero maida, yet the actual ingredient list includes Chakki Fresh Atta AND Wheat Gluten — making the 'zero maida' claim misleading under FSSAI regulations.

Product 7: Zero Maida Pizza Base

The 'Zero Maida Pizza Base' carries the trademarked claim 'Zero Maida™' and faces the same regulatory violation for the same reasons.

Why is wheat gluten a problem? Wheat gluten is an extracted protein from wheat that is structurally similar to — and often derived from the same processing that produces — maida (refined wheat). Adding isolated wheat gluten to a product while claiming 'zero maida' is deceptive for multiple reasons:

FSSAI's notice requires The Health Factory to either reformulate both products to genuinely contain no refined wheat derivatives, or remove the 'Zero Maida' claim from all packaging immediately.

Neuherbs — True Vitamin Daily

Neuherbs is a prominent Indian nutraceutical and health supplement brand with wide distribution online and in pharmacies across India. Their 'True Vitamin Daily' range of daily vitamins is widely sold and trusted by urban Indian consumers seeking reliable supplementation. FSSAI's notice targets the word 'True' prefixed to 'Vitamin' in the product name.

The problem, according to FSSAI, is that the trade name 'True Vitamin' is 'neither defined nor recognised' under FSSAI's Food Safety and Standards Regulations. This creates three distinct issues for consumers:

First, it implies that other vitamin supplements on the market are 'false' or inferior — creating an unfair competitive advantage through an unsubstantiated superiority claim. Second, 'True Vitamin' is not a recognised category, standard, or classification defined anywhere in FSSAI's regulations, meaning the name has no regulatory meaning and is purely a marketing construct. Third, consumers may interpret 'True Vitamin' as implying a higher purity, better bioavailability, or greater efficacy than standard vitamins — none of which can be claimed without approved clinical evidence and FSSAI authorisation.

In the supplement industry, words like 'True', 'Pure', 'Real', 'Genuine', 'Original' are powerful psychological marketing words that imply superiority without regulatory definition. FSSAI's notice to Neuherbs establishes an important precedent: these words, when used in trade names for food and supplement products, must have regulatory definition or they constitute a misleading trade name under India's food law.

Plan B — 'Plant Based Vegan'

Plan B markets itself as a premium plant-based vegan food brand, selling products like plant-based cheddar cheese alternatives, pasta, and other processed vegan food items. The 'vegan' label has become a powerful premium marketing tag in India's rapidly growing plant-based food market, and Plan B has built its entire brand identity around it.

FSSAI's finding: Plan B's trade name 'PLAN B Plant Based Vegan' creates the impression that all its products are certified vegan — however, the company has not obtained prior approval for vegan food endorsement in its FSSAI licence.

Under FSSAI's regulations, claiming that a product is 'vegan' is not a simple self-declaration. Food business operators must follow a structured process:

In India's diverse food market — where many consumers follow strict dietary choices based on religion (Jainism, certain Hindu practices), ethics, or health conditions — an unverified 'vegan' label is more than a marketing issue. It is a matter of consumer trust and dietary safety. A product claiming vegan status without FSSAI vegan endorsement may contain hidden animal-derived ingredients or carry cross-contamination risks that consumers have absolutely no way of knowing about simply by reading the label.

FSSAI issued notices to four brands for using the word 'organic' in their trade names without possessing the mandatory certifications required under Indian law. To legally use 'organic' in a brand name or product label in India, a food business operator must hold all of the following:

10. Organic Wisdom

The trade name 'Organic Wisdom' is likely to mislead consumers about the organic status of its products. The brand does not possess NPOP/PGS certification, the mandatory FSSAI Jaivik Bharat logo, or the necessary organic endorsement in its licence. Organic Wisdom sells wellness and food products marketed entirely around the 'organic' concept. Without holding any of India's required organic credentials, using 'Organic' in the brand name directly misleads consumers who are specifically purchasing under the belief that the products are certified organic — and often paying a significant premium for that belief.

11. Shine Organic

Shine Organic uses the word 'Organic' in its trade name without NPOP/PGS certification, Jaivik Bharat logo, or organic endorsement in its FSSAI licence. The brand sells products including Unnab Ber (Jujube) and other natural produce items, marketing them under the organic banner without the regulatory backing to support that claim.

12. Two Brothers Organic Farms

This is the most surprising and high-impact notice in the 'organic' category. Two Brothers Organic Farms has built a massive following among urban Indian consumers and has earned a reputation as a premium, trustworthy 'organic' brand. They sell ghee, A2 milk products, cold-pressed oils, honey, and other farm produce — all under the 'organic' banner at significant price premiums that consumers pay specifically because they believe the products are certified organic.

FSSAI's notice reveals: absence of NPOP/PGS certification, no Jaivik Bharat logo on products, and no organic endorsement in the FSSAI FBO licence. This raises serious questions about whether the certification gap was an administrative oversight in compliance management or a sustained failure over years of organic-branded sales. Consumers who have been paying premium prices for Two Brothers products based on the organic claim deserve clear, public answers.

13. World of Organic

The brand name 'World of Organic' implies that the products are certified organic and positions the brand as a comprehensive organic lifestyle destination — not just 'organic', but an entire 'world' of organic products — without any regulatory backing whatsoever. When a brand's entire identity is built around 'organic' without certification, every single product sold under that name carries the misleading organic implication, making this a systemic labelling violation, not just a single product issue.

> Consumers in India pay 40-200% price premiums for certified organic products, believing they are getting pesticide-free, chemical-free, non-GMO food. Brands using 'Organic' in their name without NPOP/PGS certification are exploiting this trust and potentially exposing consumers to products that have never been independently verified to meet organic standards.

Storia Juice — Pomegranate Variant

Storia is a well-known packaged juice and milkshake brand in India, popular in Tier 1 cities and available across supermarkets and quick-service restaurants. Their pomegranate juice packaging prominently features pomegranate imagery, pomegranate-coloured branding, and the product name — leading consumers to believe they are drinking a pomegranate-rich health juice.

In reality, the product contains just 4% pomegranate juice concentrate — meaning 96% of the product is water, sugar, added flavours, preservatives, and other fillers.

This is particularly problematic because pomegranate juice in India commands a significant price premium due to its perceived health benefits — antioxidants, anti-inflammatory properties, heart health support, and high polyphenol content. Consumers paying premium prices for what they believe is pomegranate juice are receiving a product that is mostly flavoured sugar water with a marginal, almost homeopathic amount of the advertised ingredient.

Under FSSAI's labelling regulations, juice products must clearly declare the actual fruit content percentage on the label in a conspicuous manner. A product that is 96% non-pomegranate content should not be marketed primarily as a pomegranate juice — and certainly should not be priced as one. Storia's violation is one of the most direct and egregious examples of consumer deception in this entire crackdown.

Iota Water - 'Feel the Difference'

Iota Water is marketed as a premium packaged drinking water brand with the tagline 'Feel the Difference' — implying that its 'added minerals' provide a perceptible health or taste benefit beyond standard water. FSSAI's notice targets this 'added minerals' claim as misleading.

FSSAI regulations are explicit on this point:

> No product shall claim the term 'added nutrients' if such nutrients have been added merely to compensate the nutrients lost or removed during processing of the food.

Here is what actually happens in packaged water production — and why the claim is deceptive:

Most packaged drinking water undergoes Reverse Osmosis (RO) or distillation — industrial purification processes that strip the water of virtually all minerals, both harmful (heavy metals, contaminants) and beneficial (calcium, magnesium). To restore palatability — because fully de-mineralised water tastes flat and unpleasant — manufacturers then add back minerals like calcium and magnesium at controlled levels.

Iota Water is claiming these re-added minerals as a positive nutritional benefit under the 'Feel the Difference' tagline. But these minerals are simply being restored to approximate levels present in the source water before purification. The consumer is not getting anything additional or superior to natural water. They are getting water that has been stripped and then partially restored — and paying a premium for the marketing claim built around that restoration process.

This is directly contrary to FSSAI's nutrient claim regulations, which prohibit calling something 'added' if it was only added to compensate for what was removed during processing. The 'added minerals' marketing on Iota Water is, in FSSAI's assessment, a misleading nutrient claim.

If you use any of the above brands, here is what you need to know and what action to take:

Today's FSSAI action against 14 food business operators is one of the most significant regulatory moves in India's evolving food safety landscape. As Indian consumers become increasingly health-conscious and willing to pay premiums for 'healthy', 'organic', 'vegan', and 'natural' products, the marketplace has seen an explosion of brands exploiting these buzzwords without meeting the regulatory standards that must underpin them.

The brands caught in this crackdown are not small operators trying to survive. Emami is a listed conglomerate. Two Brothers Organic Farms is a D2C darling with a loyal and trusting urban fan base. Storia is on supermarket shelves across India's major cities. Neuherbs is stocked in pharmacies nationwide. The fact that even these established and well-resourced brands have been found in violation underscores how widespread misleading food labelling has become in the Indian market — and how urgently enforcement is needed.

FSSAI's crackdown sends a clear and unambiguous message: marketing words have legal weight in India's food industry. Brand names, taglines, product names, packaging imagery, and claims are all subject to the FSS Act, 2006, and the Advertising and Claims Regulations, 2018. No trademark, brand heritage, social media following, or D2C success story exempts a company from this fundamental obligation to consumers.

For consumers, the lesson from June 14, 2026 is simple but vital: never let a brand name substitute for reading the label. The 'healthy', 'organic', 'vegan', and 'zero maida' claims on the front of the pack are marketing. The ingredient list on the back is the truth. The Jaivik Bharat logo is the only proof of organic certification. The FSSAI vegan endorsement in the licence is the only proof of a verified vegan claim.

Read labels. Check certifications. Question health claims. And use AaharIQ to scan any packaged food before buying — our AI checks every ingredient against FSSAI regulations, WHO guidelines, and NOVA classification to give you an instant BUY or AVOID verdict in seconds.

Sources: FSSAI Official Notice, June 14, 2026 | Business Standard | ANI | IANS | PTI | Telangana Today | NewKerala | ProKerala | MunsiF Daily. This article is for informational purposes. FSSAI notices are regulatory actions — not product bans — unless specifically stated otherwise by FSSAI.