THEBUSINESSBYTES BUREAU

NEW DELHI, OCTOBER 17, 2026

The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has issued notices to Hindustan Unilever Ltd (HUL) and Nestlé India over alleged regulatory violations involving a pregnancy nutrition drink and a specialised medical nutrition product, raising concerns over product claims, prior approval and labelling compliance.

The regulator has flagged claims related to healthy birth weight on HUL's Horlicks Mother's Plus Kesar, a 400-gram product, and alleged approval and labelling lapses in Nestlé India's Resource Renal vanilla-flavoured powder, intended for the dietary management of patients with chronic kidney disease undergoing conservative treatment.

In its notice to HUL, FSSAI said its examination of a complaint, the product label, advertisements and an e-commerce listing had raised concerns over claims associated with Horlicks Mother's Plus Kesar.

The regulator objected to the use of phrases such as "Healthy Birth Weight" on the product label and "For baby's healthy birth weight" in an advertisement, stating that these could be misleading and may violate the Food Safety and Standards (Advertising and Claims) Regulations, 2018.

According to FSSAI, such wording could imply that consuming the product itself would confer health benefits related to a baby's birth weight, which may be inconsistent with the prescribed regulatory requirements.

The authority also flagged an online product listing that included descriptions such as "For Pregnancy and Lactation with Protein for Birth Weight" and "DHA for Brain Development - No Added Sugar" as part of the product name. It said the claims raised concerns over compliance with the applicable requirements.

HUL has been directed to explain its position within the stipulated period. The regulator has warned that an unsatisfactory response could lead to further action under the relevant food safety laws.

In a separate notice, FSSAI raised concerns over Nestlé India's Resource Renal vanilla-flavoured powder, a specialised nutritional product intended for people with chronic kidney disease who are being managed conservatively.

The regulator said products falling under the relevant category require prior approval from the Food Authority under the Food Safety and Standards (Health Supplements, Nutraceuticals, Food for Special Dietary Use, Food for Special Medical Purpose, and Prebiotic and Probiotic Food) Regulations, 2022.

According to the notice, Nestlé India had not obtained the required prior approval for the product, raising questions over its compliance with the applicable provisions.

FSSAI also pointed to the alleged absence of the prescribed vegetarian or non-vegetarian symbol on the product label, which it said was in violation of the Food Safety and Standards (Labelling and Display) Regulations, 2020.

Nestlé India has been asked to respond to the observations within the stipulated period. The authority said an unsatisfactory explanation could invite further action under the applicable laws.

Separately, FSSAI has suspended the licences of Sukhdarshan Pharma and Bala Ji Food Products over what it described as serious food safety violations.

The notices to HUL and Nestlé India provide the companies an opportunity to respond to the regulator's observations. The allegations and compliance concerns raised by the authority do not, by themselves, establish a final finding against either company, with further action depending on the proceedings and the responses submitted.