The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) announced on Friday that it has begun legal proceedings against Nestle India Ltd over alleged violations of food safety regulations concerning three infant nutrition products.
FSSAI’s investigation focused on NAN Excella Pro Stage 1, Lactogen Pro 1, and a follow‑up formula, including promotional material posted on e‑commerce sites. The regulator flagged claims about 5‑HMOs and whey protein in NAN Excella Pro and described whey protein as “easy to digest” in Lactogen Pro. The agency sought clarification from Nestle on these statements.
Both products were said to breach Regulation 4(2) of the Food Safety and Standards (Foods for Infant Nutrition) Regulations, 2020, which limits promotional claims for infant foods, and Section 3 of the Infant Milk Substitutes, Feeding Bottles and Infant Foods (Regulation of Production, Supply and Distribution) Act, 1992, which prohibits advertising such products. A laboratory test also found the follow‑up formula to be deficient in biotin, failing to meet the 2020 regulation’s requirement. As a result, FSSAI filed three adjudication cases and the company’s shares fell nearly 2 % to Rs 1,345.45 on the BSE.
Nestle India responded that its infant nutrition products are fully compliant with all applicable regulations and that the labels for NAN Excella Pro and Lactogen Pro were approved by an FSSAI expert committee. The company reiterated that it had submitted a detailed response to the authorities, asserting that the disputed statements are factual and supported by scientific literature.
