Within four days, India’s food regulator has questioned an expired-flour delivery by a quick-commerce app, a “cream roll” that contains no cream, a pomegranate juice that is mostly apple, cranberry capsules sold with disease claims, and baby-food and children’s-drink labels from two of the country’s best-known brands. Taken together, the notices from the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) show where the regulator is now looking: the phone screen where millions of Indians buy groceries, and the promises printed on the pack.
Key takeaways
- FSSAI issued notices over expired besan delivered by Zepto and misleading labels on a cream roll, juice and supplements.
- Nestle India and Zydus Wellness were asked to prove infant-formula and Complan health claims; notices are not final findings.
- Shoppers can check dates at delivery and complain through FSSAI’s Food Safety Connect app or grievance portal.
None of the notices is a final finding of guilt. Each company must explain itself or produce evidence within a set period, and any penalty would come later under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006. But the pattern matters for shoppers.
How the week unfolded
- Sunday, October 18: FSSAI issued an advisory telling food businesses to keep perishable items such as khoa, paneer, meat and fish at the prescribed temperature from sourcing all the way to the consumer. It said temperature abuse breaks the hygiene conditions attached to every food licence, and asked state food safety commissioners, Indian Railways and its regional directors to step up checks. Officers can seize and destroy stock that is not kept properly.
- Monday, October 19: The regulator announced notices to Zepto, Bakelite Food Processing, HealthyHey Foods and BMS Lifescience, and sanctioned adjudication proceedings against Storia Foods & Beverages.
- Wednesday, October 21: FSSAI announced notices to Nestle India and Zydus Wellness, the maker of Complan, seeking scientific proof for claims on infant formula and a children’s health drink.
The quick-commerce case: expired besan
The Zepto notice began with a complaint posted on X. A customer said two packs of besan (gram flour) had been delivered after their use-by date; both were marked “USE BY: 12092026”, which the regulator read as September 12, 2026. According to ThePrint’s account of the notice, FSSAI asked Zepto to verify the complaint and hand over order, delivery, warehouse, seller and product details. It also wanted to know whether affected stock had been withdrawn, whether customers had been told and refunded, and what Zepto would do to prevent a repeat.
This is not the first case of its kind this month. Earlier in October, FSSAI suspended the licence of Shreyash Retail, a seller it said had repeatedly sold expired or rotten food through Flipkart, after inspecting its warehouses in Delhi and Noida. That case involved more than 130 consumer complaints, 70 of them about expired or spoiled food.
Labels that promise more than the pack delivers
The other notices are about words and pictures rather than spoiled stock. The regulator’s objections, as reported by ThePrint, BusinessToday and PTI:
| Product | What FSSAI questioned |
|---|---|
| Malpani’s Bake-Lite Puneri Cream Roll (Bakelite Food Processing) | Name and “Crispy & Creamy” description, when the ingredients list refined wheat flour, hydrogenated vegetable fat, margarine and sugar, with no milk, cream or other dairy |
| Storia Juice (Pomegranate) | Contains 4% pomegranate juice concentrate and 12% apple juice concentrate; name and imagery could mislead, and a front-of-pack “No Added Sugar” claim while the naturally-occurring-sugar note sat on the back |
| Hoag’s Cranberry capsules (BMS Lifescience) | Urinary-tract and kidney claims without prior approval, an expired registration certificate, and use of the FSSAI logo suggesting endorsement |
| HealthyHey Natural Cranberry Extract capsules | Unapproved “Supports Urinary Tract Health” claim, colour declarations that did not match across listings, and “FSSAI certified” and “100% Natural” wording |
| Nestle Lactogen Pro 1 and NAN Excella Pro Stage 1 | The line that whey protein is “easy to digest”, and the claim that “5 HMOs helps support normal immune system”, which the regulator treated as a prohibited physiological claim |
| Complan (Zydus Wellness) | “2X Faster Growth”, “Supports Concentration and Memory”, “Pro Immunity+ 34 Vital Nutrients” and “Clinically proven 2X growth” |
For the Nestle and Zydus products, FSSAI has asked for scientific substantiation and told the companies to show why action should not begin under the 2006 Act. The PTI report carried no response from either company. A claim being questioned is not the same as a claim being proven false; the companies may produce studies that satisfy the regulator.
A wider shift in enforcement
These notices sit inside a larger push. FSSAI chief executive Rajit Punhani told The Economic Times, as reported by Inc42 on October 13, that the regulator has consulted e-commerce and quick-commerce companies and started inspecting dark stores and cloud kitchens. He said prosecutions involving e-commerce companies had risen at least five- to sixfold over the past year. FSSAI is also considering rules that would require online food listings to show the manufacturing date, expiry date and batch number before a customer orders. That proposal has not yet been notified, so it is not law.
Not every company is accepting the notices quietly. PepsiCo, Reliance Consumer Products and Monster Beverage have challenged FSSAI notices in court and, according to Inc42, won procedural relief after a court found they had not been given an adequate chance to respond.
What you can do as a shopper
Some protections already exist. In November 2024, FSSAI told e-commerce food businesses that products should have at least 30% of their shelf life, or 45 days, left at the time of delivery, and that no food business may sell on a platform without a valid FSSAI licence or registration. Practical steps that follow from this week’s cases:
- Check dates at the door. Look at the “use by” or “best before” date as soon as an order arrives, especially for flour, dairy, meat and baby food. Photograph the label and invoice before using the product.
- Ask the platform first. Raise a refund or replacement request through the app’s help section and keep the ticket number.
- Complain to the regulator. FSSAI’s Food Safety Connect app and its consumer grievance portal let you file a complaint with photos and get a tracking ID.
- Read the back of the pack. Words such as “creamy”, “100% natural” or “immunity” on the front are marketing. The ingredient list and percentages on the back tell you what is actually inside.
- Be wary of health claims on supplements. An FSSAI licence number on a pack shows the business is registered. It does not mean the regulator has approved the product’s health claims.
What happens next
The companies must reply within the period set in each notice. FSSAI can then close a case, order label changes, start adjudication, which can lead to fines, or sanction prosecution in serious cases. This week’s actions were announced on the regulator’s social media accounts, so outcomes may appear there first. Watch also for draft e-commerce disclosure rules. For more on policies affecting Indian households, see our India section.
Sources
- ThePrint: FSSAI issues notices to Zepto, Bakelite, 2 supplement firms over expired food, misleading claims
- ETV Bharat (PTI): FSSAI notices to Nestle India, Zydus Wellness over misleading claims
- BusinessToday: FSSAI issues notices to Nestle, Complan maker over health claims
- The Tribune (PTI): FSSAI asks food businesses to ensure temperature-controlled transport for perishables
- Inc42: FSSAI eyes tighter quick commerce rules for expiry dates, food labelling
- Urban Acres: FSSAI notices on e-commerce food claims and the Shreyash Retail licence suspension
- All India Radio: FSSAI directs e-commerce FBOs to ensure minimum 30% shelf life (2024)
- FSSAI Food Safety Connect consumer grievance portal
Drafted with AI assistance; fact-checked and edited by Ajay Mahawar, Taaza Khabar.
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