The National Commission for the Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) on April 26 asked Mondelez India-owned brand Bournvita to withdraw all ”misleading” advertisements, packaging and labels after a video claimed that the health drink has high sugar content.
A social media influencer, Revant Himatsingka had recently faced backlash from the company after his video, posted on Instagram on April 1, “exposing” the details related to the high levels of sugar in Bournvita had gone viral. He was served a legal notice by the company and had to delete his video online.
Revant Himatsingka, who introduced himself as a nutritionist and a health coach, deleted the video after Mondelez India served him a legal notice.
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In a notice to the organisation, the NCPCR asked for a detailed explanation on the mater within seven days.
The notice read, “With regard to this product, it has been brought to the notice of the Commission that your product contains a high percentage of sugar and contents/substances/mixtures/formula which may cause harmful impact to the health of children,”
“fails to display mandatory disclosures in line with the guidelines and regulation of Food Safety Standard Authority of India (FSSAI) and under the Consumer Protection Act,” it said.
Announcing his decision to take down the video that sparked the debate over Bournvita, the influencer Revant Himatsingka said he does not have the resources for a legal fight. “I apologize to Cadbury for making the video,” he said.
NCPCR has pointed out that the labelling and display norms by the Food Safety Standard Authority of India (FSSAI) mandate the display of red colour coding for the products that have added sugar content value more than 10 per cent of the total energy provided by the 100 g/ml of the product.
“Prima facie (it) has been observed that your product, seems to have bypassed the threshold with use of labels ‘Maltodextrin liquid glucose’ which needs to be mentioned under the class title “added sugar..” read the notice.
Responding to the viral videos, Bournvita had earlier said that over the last seven decades, it has “earned the trust of consumers in India by being a scientifically formulated product that adheres to quality standards and complies with the laws of the land”.
“We would again like to reinforce that the formulation has 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,” a Bournvita spokesperson had said.
A post from the official account said: “Bournvita contains nutrients namely Vitamin A, C, D, Iron, Zinc, Copper and Selenium which help build immunity. These have been part of our formulation for several years. We have always called out ‘Helps with the healthy functioning of the immune system’ on the back of our pack for several years (even before the Covid-19 pandemic).”
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