The Centre has told the Delhi High Court that Dabur India’s use of the label “100% fruit juice” on its Real brand packaging is misleading, illegal, and unsupported by food safety regulations. The statement was made in a detailed joint affidavit filed by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare and the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI).
The affidavit, submitted on April 22, comes in response to Dabur’s petition challenging FSSAI’s directive dated June 3, 2024, which instructed all food business operators (FBOs) to remove the term “100% fruit juice” from product labels and advertisements.
The Centre asserted that the claim is “neither recognised nor permitted” under the Food Safety and Standards (Advertising and Claims) Regulations, 2018. It argued that the continued use of the phrase constitutes “public deception, regulatory dilution, and erosion of consumer trust.”
Label Called ‘Inherently Misleading’
According to the Centre, the use of “100% fruit juice” lacks statutory backing and violates the principle of fair disclosure. The FSSAI’s scientific panel on labelling and claims had found the label misleading, noting that Dabur’s ingredient list included water and fruit juice concentrate—contrary to the impression conveyed by the term.
“The impugned expression is inherently misleading and creates confusion in the minds of consumers,” the affidavit stated, adding that such quantifying terms are not allowed unless explicitly permitted by regulations.
It also criticized Dabur’s justification of the label, calling it an “impermissible exercise in interpretative expansion” that contradicts the intent of the law.
Dabur Claims Operational Loss, Cites Right to Trade
Dabur filed the writ petition seeking to quash the FSSAI’s notification, arguing that it infringes on the company’s fundamental right to carry on trade and is causing operational and branding losses.
However, on April 2, the Delhi High Court declined to grant interim relief. Government counsel Premtosh Kumar Mishra emphasized that under existing law, food business operators are not allowed to use terms like “100%” in the context of food labels and advertising without regulatory approval.
