New Delhi: The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has initiated legal proceedings against Nestle India Ltd after finding that a sample of one infant nutrition product did not meet prescribed quality standards and two other products were promoted in violation of regulations governing infant foods.
The food safety regulator has filed three separate adjudication cases against Nestle India in connection with the three products.
Nestle India, however, said its products are fully compliant with applicable regulations and that it would continue to work with FSSAI. The company’s shares fell nearly 3% following the news before recovering to close almost flat.
Baby food sample found non-compliant on biotin
FSSAI said a sample of a follow-up formula manufactured by Nestle was found to be substandard in terms of its biotin content during laboratory testing.
The sample was subsequently sent for re-analysis at a referral laboratory. According to FSSAI, the referral laboratory also found that the sample did not conform to the prescribed biotin requirement under the Food Safety and Standards (Foods for Infant Nutrition) Regulations, 2020.
Biotin, also known as vitamin B7, is a nutrient for which the regulations prescribe a standardised reference range in infant food products.
The regulator’s action follows the laboratory findings and the subsequent referral analysis.
Two products flagged over promotional claims
FSSAI also raised concerns over the promotion of two other infant nutrition products — NAN Excella Pro Stage 1 and Lactogen Pro 1.
According to the regulator, the promotion of both products contravened Regulation 4(2) of the Food Safety and Standards (Foods for Infant Nutrition) Regulations, 2020, which restricts promotional claims or material intended to increase the saleability of infant foods.
FSSAI also cited Section 3 of the Infant Milk Substitutes, Feeding Bottles and Infant Foods (Regulation of Production, Supply and Distribution) Act, 1992, which places restrictions on the advertisement and promotion of infant milk substitutes and related products.
The regulator has initiated separate adjudication proceedings concerning the promotional violations.
Nestle says products comply with regulations
Nestle India disputed the concerns raised over the promotional material.
A company spokesperson said the two products cited by FSSAI, along with their labels, had been approved by the regulator’s expert committee.
The company said it had submitted a detailed response to the authorities regarding statements appearing on the labels, describing them as factual and supported by scientific literature.
The spokesperson did not directly address FSSAI’s findings concerning the product in which the regulator said the biotin content did not meet the prescribed requirement.
The legal proceedings will determine the regulatory consequences of the cases.
Nestle has faced food safety scrutiny before
Nestle India has previously faced major regulatory action over its food products. In 2015, its popular Maggi noodles were banned in India following concerns over alleged excessive lead levels and labelling issues. The company recalled the product, which subsequently returned to the market after further testing and regulatory developments.
The latest proceedings relate specifically to infant nutrition products and involve both product quality and promotional practices.
Milk and nutrition products major revenue segment
Milk and nutrition products, which include infant formula and baby food, constituted Nestle India’s largest product category in the financial year ended March 2026.
According to the report, the category accounted for around one-third of the company’s product sales, which were valued at about $2.4 billion (approximately ₹23,000 crore).
The latest FSSAI action therefore comes in relation to a significant segment of Nestle India’s business, while the company maintains that its products comply with applicable regulations.