Dabur says FSSAI favoured certain manufacturers by banning sale of items with ‘100%’ label

Dabur has accused the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) of favouring certain manufacturers by banning the sale of food products carrying "100 per cent" claims, said a report. The company said the regulator's order has put inventory worth Rs 150 crore at risk.

According to a report in Moneycontrol, in a writ petition filed in the Delhi High Court on August 6, Dabur said the prohibitory order was not in the public interest and was issued to serve the business interests of other manufacturers. The dispute concerns an FSSAI order directing Dabur to stop selling several products marketed with claims such as "100 per cent Natural", "100 per cent Pure", "100 per cent Purity Guaranteed", "100 per cent Organic" and "100 per cent Tender Coconut Water". Dabur was also asked to submit an action taken report within 15 days.

Dabur challenged the order, arguing it was issued without a show-cause notice, improvement notice or an opportunity to be heard, the report added. The company said the order implied that the use of "100 per cent" claims disparaged other manufacturers’ products, but there was no reasoning to show how such claims undermined another product. Dabur added that the expression was widely used across the industry.

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The action covers 11 of Dabur's flagship products, including Dabur Honey, Dabur Virgin Coconut Oil and Réal Activ Coconut Water. Dabur said the order put stock worth Rs 150 crore at risk of destruction and was issued in a "mechanical manner" without examining the labels, the report added. The company noted that some products, like DABUR HOMMADE Coconut Milk and DABUR Cold Pressed Sesame Oil, never carried "100%" claims, indicating a lack of proper application of mind.

According to the FSSAI order, Dabur’s "100%" claims were misleading and violated the Food Safety and Standards (Advertising and Claims) Regulations, 2018. Dabur maintained that its labels complied with legal and regulatory frameworks and reflected long-standing industry practice. The company said it stood by the purity and quality of its products and had never made misleading claims.

Dabur also said the notice related only to the interpretation of product descriptions and did not question the quality, safety, purity or standards of its products. The company recalled that FSSAI had earlier issued a notice on April 8, 2026, alleging the use of "100% Pure" on one product, to which Dabur responded that the product did not carry that claim.

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The company said it had already begun removing the claims from labels, advertisements and websites before the prohibitory order. Dabur received the order on August 3 at 7 pm and is exploring legal options while engaging with the regulator. The public release of the order has hurt Dabur’s reputation and disrupted its retail supply chain, the company said.

Dabur noted that FSSAI publicised the order on social media and advised channel platforms not to sell products with the "100%" claim. Blinkit sent an urgent communication on August 4 disabling all such listings and disclaimed liability. Correspondence cited in court filings showed Hilton Hotels asking Dabur to identify affected products and proposing to exclude them until the issue is resolved.