Three years after health creator Revant Himatsingka, popularly known as FoodPharmer, triggered a nationwide debate over Bournvita’s sugar content and health-focused marketing, India’s food regulator has again flagged claims linked to Mondelez products. The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) said Mondelez India had made health and nutrient-comparison claims that required corrective action.
Following the notice, Mondelez withdrew the flagged claims and related advertisements from e-commerce platforms and revised its product packaging to comply with regulations. The development comes as FSSAI intensifies its scrutiny of misleading food advertising, with more than 150 notices reportedly issued to food businesses over misleading claims, inaccurate descriptions and labelling violations.
Claims Under Scrutiny
The latest action concerns the way nutritional and health benefits are communicated to consumers. According to FSSAI, Mondelez India was among major food businesses asked to address claims that could create a misleading impression about the nutritional value or benefits of products. The company subsequently removed the flagged health and nutrient-comparison claims from online platforms and took corrective measures, according to the regulator.
The action is significant because food labels and advertisements often influence consumers before they read the detailed nutrition panel. Terms suggesting that a product provides particular health or nutritional advantages can shape perceptions about what is suitable for children and families. FSSAI’s wider enforcement drive has reportedly resulted in more than 150 notices to food companies, alongside notices to e-commerce platforms and food-service businesses. The regulator has said that such action is intended to ensure that consumers receive accurate information and are not misled by promotional claims.
For Mondelez, the issue is particularly notable given Bournvita’s earlier controversy. The company has previously maintained that its products are formulated by food scientists and nutritionists and comply with applicable regulations. The current corrective action, however, shows that regulatory scrutiny of how nutritional benefits are presented remains an ongoing issue rather than one confined to the controversy of 2023.
From Viral Video
The roots of the debate go back to April 2023, when Revant Himatsingka, known online as FoodPharmer, posted a viral video questioning Bournvita’s sugar content and its positioning as a health-oriented drink for children. The video attracted millions of views and brought an issue that had largely remained within nutrition and consumer-health discussions into mainstream social media conversations.
Mondelez responded with a legal notice, calling the claims in the video unscientific and disputing the way its product had been portrayed. The video was subsequently taken down. The controversy nevertheless continued, prompting wider scrutiny of food marketing aimed at children. The National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) later noted that “health drink” was not a defined category under India’s food-safety framework. It also recorded that Mondelez had said Bournvita was not a “health drink”, while the product was classified as a cereal-based beverage mix.
The episode also coincided with changes in Bournvita’s formulation and the broader removal of products such as Bournvita and Horlicks from the “health drinks” category on e-commerce platforms. In 2024, the Delhi High Court also considered the dispute between Mondelez and Himatsingka, including allegations that his content disparaged the company and its products.
The Logical Indian’s Perspective
The latest FSSAI action reminds us why transparency in food marketing matters. This is not simply about one brand, one influencer or one viral video; it is about the information families receive when deciding what to buy and consume. Companies have every right to market their products, and creators have a responsibility to present health information accurately, but consumers should never have to decode complicated claims to understand what they are actually purchasing.
Stronger regulation should therefore be accompanied by clear communication, evidence-based claims and meaningful accountability across the industry. The goal should not be to pit food companies against critics, but to create a marketplace where businesses can innovate responsibly and consumers can make informed choices without confusion. Do you think India needs stronger and clearer rules on how health and nutrition claims are presented on packaged foods?
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