Bournvita scientifically formulated; no role in influencer's Twitter account suspension: Cadbury parent 

Bournvita is a scientifically formulated product that adheres to the highest quality standards, Mondelez International, the parent company of Cadbury which manufactures the drink, told Business Today on Thursday. The American food major said it was concerned by a recent "unscientific video" on social media that "distorted facts and made false and negative inferences about Bournvita's safety and efficacy".

This comes just a day after the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) asked Mondelez International to review and withdraw all misleading advertisements, packaging, and labels related to the milk supplement citing non-adherence to mandatory disclosure of its sugar content.  

Also read: Bournvita row: Twitter account of influencer 'Foodpharmer' suspended

Bournvita landed in controversy after Revant Himatsingka, an influencer, accused Cadbury of making false claims about Bournvita. He claimed that Cadbury calls Bournvita a health drink but over half of the packet was just sugar. "If you look at the ingredient, per 100 gm, they have 50 grams of sugar. So basically the entire half of this bag is of sugar," he said in a short video on Twitter. Himatsingka, however, had to take down his video following notice from Cadbury. And his account was later suspended by Twitter.  

Mondelez said the presenter's comments were not based on science and were "designed to drive anxiety and fear" among its consumers by misrepresenting the facts and "omitting factually correct information" to sensationalise his view. "The video has created panic and anxiety and questions the trust that consumers have bestowed on brands like Bournvita," the company said.

Also read: Amid Bournvita row, Zerodha's Nithin Kamath says fat, sugar per serving in front of package would be ideal

Mondelez said that it had to take legal action to "avoid misinformation" and that it did not play any role in the suspension of Himatsingka's Twitter account. "We would like to clarify that we had no play in actions around the presenter’s Twitter account," it said.

In his video, Himatsingka claimed that Cadbury had not changed anything in formulations to boost immunity as was claimed on the packet. He said that the tagline of Bournvita is 'taiyari jeet ki' but rather, "it should be 'taiyari diabetes ki".

Mondelez said Bournvita's formulation had been scientifically crafted by a team of nutritionists and food scientists to offer the best of taste and health. "All our claims are verified and transparent and all ingredients have regulatory approvals. All the necessary nutritional information is mentioned on the pack for consumers to make informed choices," the company said.
 
"Bournvita is best consumed with a glass of 200 ml hot or cold milk as highlighted on the pack. Every serve of 20 gm of Bournvita has 7.5 grams of added sugar, which is approximately one and a half teaspoons. This is much less than the daily recommended intake limits of sugar for children," the American food firm said.

Dismissing the claims that the drink had nothing to boost immunity, Mondelez said: "Bournvita contains nutrients namely Vitamin A, C, D, B12, Iron, Zinc, Copper and Selenium which supports the immune system." The food major said these had been part of its formulation and it had always called out “Helps with healthy functioning of the immune system” on the back of its pack for several years.

"Caramel Colour (150 C) is within permissible limits as per guidelines defined by regulations. All ingredients are safe, approved for use and within permissible limits as per the regulatory guidelines," the company said.