New Delhi: The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) on Monday intensified its enforcement drive against food safety violations by suspending the licence of Matri Drinking Water in Tripura and issuing a prohibition order against Noble Healthcare, Mohali, Punjab, over serious violations of food safety regulations.
In the case of Noble Healthcare, the food safety regulator has prohibited the manufacture, storage, distribution and sale of its product Venolex Forte with immediate effect under Section 36(3)(b) of the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006.
“FSSAI has suspended license of Matri Drinking Water, Tripura & has issued prohibition order to Noble Healthcare, Punjab for serious food safety violations,” it said in a post on social media platform X.
“FSSAI continues to maintain strict enforcement across food sectors to protect consumer health,” it added.
According to FSSAI, the action was taken after multiple critical non-compliances were detected during regulatory scrutiny.
The regulator said the product contained ingredients that are not permitted under the applicable food safety regulations. It also observed that the Vitamin C content in the product was 90 mg, which appears to exceed the Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) prescribed under the ICMR-NIN Guidelines, 2020.
FSSAI further stated that Venolex Forte contains pharmacologically active ingredients, including Calcium Dobesilate, Diosmin and Euphorbia Prostrata, which are not permitted ingredients under the Food Safety and Standards (Health Supplements, Nutraceuticals, Food for Special Dietary Use, Food for Special Medical Purpose, Functional Food and Novel Food) Regulations, 2022.
The regulator also found that the product was marketed as a “Dietary Food Supplement” while prominently displaying an FSSAI licence number below the product name. According to FSSAI, this created a misleading impression that the product had been specifically approved or endorsed by the food regulator.
In addition, the product’s labelling and overall presentation were found to be misleading, causing confusion regarding its legal and regulatory status and potentially misleading consumers about its compliance with FSSAI requirements.
FSSAI said the product was prima facie non-compliant with provisions governing the manufacture and marketing of food products and food supplements under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, and the regulations framed under it.
(IANS)
