Question : MISLEADING ADVERTISEMENT

(a) whether the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has advised the Advertisement Standard Council of India (ASCI) to ask its members to refrain from making tall claims about their food supplements on television without adequate scientific justification;

(b) if so, the details thereof and the response of the ASCI in this regard;

(c) whether the Government propose to penalise those companies whose claims on food supplements are not supported by adequate scientific justification; and

(d) if so, the details thereof and if not, the reasons therefor?

THE MINISTER OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE (SHRI GHULAM NABI AZAD)

(a) & (b): Section 23, 24, 52, and 53 of the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006,lay down the provisions regarding the packaging and labelling, restrictions of advertisement and prohibition as to unfair trade practices, penalty for misbranded food and penalty for misleading advertisements respectively. The Food Safety and Standards (Packaging and Labelling) Regulations, 2011, stipulate the labelling and packaging requirements of food items. ASCI’s attention has been brought to the relevant portions of the Act so that everyone refrains from making claims which are not true.

(c) & (d): Cases have been filed by the FSSAI against certain companies for misleading advertisements, details of which are at Annexure.