Is Lotte Choco Pie 100% Vegetarian? FSSAI Says 'Claim Misleading', Issues Notice; Ferns N Petals & Kubera Also Under Scanner
FSSAI has flagged three popular brands, including Kubera Foods, Lotte India Corporation Private Limited and Ferns N Petals Private Limited, over alleged misleading claims and labelling violations on food products.
- Republic Business
- 4 min read
New Delhi: Statutory body Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has flagged three popular brands, including Kubera Foods, Lotte India Corporation Private Limited and Ferns N Petals Private Limited, over alleged misleading claims and labelling violations on food products.
The notices were issued over claims made on the packets of the products, over the use of non-compliant labels and alleged failure to provide mandatory declarations under food safety regulations. The companies have been directed to submit explanations within seven days on why action should not be initiated under the provisions of the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, and the rules and regulations made under it.
Lotte & The Products Under Scanner
Lotte India Corporation Private Limited has been served notice for allegedly utilizing non-compliant pre-printed labels without prior approval and non-compliances observed in the labelling and claims made on various products.
According to FSSAI, Lotte India Corporation Private Limited utilised non-compliant pre-printed labels bearing the old company name 'Lotte India Corporation Limited' without obtaining prior approval.
Here are the four Lotte products flagged by FSSAI:
1. Lotte Choco Pie with Rich Marshmallow, Lotte Choco Pie Real Orange and Lotte Choco Pie Choco Burst bear the claim "100% Vegetarian". According to FSSAI this claim is “misleading”.
2. PEPERO Crunchy Biscuit Sticks Carton and PEPERO Original Biscuit Sticks do not provide nutritional information in the prescribed manner as required under the FSS (Labelling & Display) Regulations.
3. LOLLY BLISS Lollipop (Orange, Strawberry & Kaccha Mango Flavours) do not comply with vitamins level under the provisions of the FSS (Advertising & Claims) Regulations.
4. FRUITZ Eclairs (Mango, Orange and Strawberry Flavours) bear a product name that is likely to create a misleading impression since the products do not contain fruits. Further, the mandatory disclaimer for the brand/trade name, as required under the FSS (Advertising & Claims) Regulations, has not been provided on the front of the pack.
Ferns N Petals
According to FSSAI, the 'Almond Chocolate' product of Ferns N Petals bear misleading claims and labelling.
The packet of the chocolate has 'Handcrafted Premium Chocolate' written in its front packet. FSSAI said this claim is misleading since the product contains Hydrogenated vegetable gat and does not carry the mandatory declaration for chocolates containing vegetable fat.
FSSAI said the product contains hydrogenated vegetable fat in place of cocoa butter; however, the mandatory declaration prescribed under the FSS (Food Products Standards and Food Additives) Regulations, has not been provided on the label. Chocolates containing vegetable fats other than cocoa butter are required to bear the declaration: "CONTAINS COCOA BUTTER EQUIVALENT/VEGETABLE FAT IN ADDITION TO COCOA BUTTER."
The body also noted that the nutritional information panel of the product does not declare the %RDA (Recommended Dietary Allowance) values as required under the FSS (Labelling and Display) Regulations, 2020.
The product is marketed as Almond Chocolate and the label displays images of almonds; however, the ingoing percentage of almond has not been declared in the ingredient list, violating Regulation of the FSS (Labelling and Display) Regulations, 2020.
Kubera Foods
FSSAI issued a notice to Kubera Foods over its product ‘Soft and Fresh Cream Bun Pineapple’.
The notice has been issued over misleading front-of-pack claims of "100% Natural" and “No Preservatives, Colours & Flavours”, despite the product label declaring Preservative (INS 282), Synthetic Food Colour (INS 110) and Added Flavouring Substances.
FSSAI said the claims "Pure", "Fresh" and "Natural" are in violation of the provisions governing the use of these terms under Schedule V of the FSS (Advertising & Claims) Regulations. It added that the claim "100% Natural" is misleading and does not comply with the directions issued to FBOs vide FSSAI Advisory.
It further stated that the claim "No Added Preservative, Colour & Flavour" is misleading since the product contains Preservative (INS 282), Synthetic Food Colour (INS 110), and Added Flavouring Substances (Natural & Nature Identical & Artificial Flavouring Substances - Pineapple), as declared on the product label.
Published By : Nidhi Sinha
Published On: 8 July 2026 at 21:29 IST