That bottle of “pomegranate juice” in your fridge, the “zero maida” pizza base in your freezer, or the “organic” pasta on your shelf may not be quite what its label promises. The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has issued show-cause notices to 14 food business operators, accusing them of using brand names, taglines and product claims likely to mislead consumers — in direct violation of the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006.The list reads like a shopping basket from any urban Indian home: Emami Healthy & Tasty, Health Aid, Troovy, The Healthy Factory, Healthy Master, Healthy Choice, Plan B, Neuherbs, Organic Wisdom, Shine Organic, Two Brothers Organic Farms, World of Organic, Storia and Iota Water.WHAT WENT WRONG, BRAND BY BRANDEmami Healthy & TastyThe cooking oil arm of the Kolkata-based Emami Group has been told its very trade name is “likely to mislead consumers” and appears to violate FSSAI norms — the word “healthy” itself is the problem.Plan BMarkets its cashew-based “Cheddar Block” and other products as “Plant Based Vegan”. FSSAI says this creates the impression of certified vegan food, but the company never obtained the mandatory prior approval or vegan food endorsement on its FSSAI licence.NeuherbsPulled up for branding a product “True Vitamin” — a term FSSAI says is “neither defined nor recognised” under any food regulation, and therefore inherently misleading.Healthy Master, Healthy Choice, Health AidFlagged for taglines such as “Vision to Serve Healthy” and “Healthy Food for Healthy Life Poha”, and for trade names that imply health benefits not backed by regulation. Health Aid’s “Salmon Oil” product drew separate scrutiny.The Healthy FactoryIts “Zero Maida Whole Wheat Bread” and “Zero Maida Pizza Base” are under the scanner because the products actually contain Chakki Fresh Atta and wheat gluten — undercutting the “zero maida” promise.TroovyIts “Healthy Mix Veggie Chips”, “Healthy Ragi Chips” and “Healthy Moong Dal Chips” were flagged for using “Healthy” prominently despite containing other, less wholesome ingredients.Organic Wisdom, Shine Organic, Two Brothers Organic Farms, World of OrganicAll four face the same charge — using “organic” in their names and marketing without the mandatory National Programme for Organic Production (NPOP) or Participatory Guarantee System (PGS) certification, and without displaying the official Jaivik Bharat logo required for any genuine organic claim in India.StoriaPerhaps the most eye-catching violation. Its “Pomegranate Juice” creates the impression of being pure pomegranate juice — but contains only 4 per cent pomegranate juice concentrate.Iota WaterIts “Feel The Difference” claim has been questioned for overstating the product’s benefits without substantiation.THE REGULATOR’S WORDAnnouncing the action on its official social media handles, FSSAI said it had issued notices “for violating provisions of the FSS Act, 2006 regarding misleading brand names, trade names, and product claims,” and directed all food business operators to “strictly comply with the established labelling and display regulations to prevent consumer deception.”WHY IT MATTERS TO CROUNDS OF HOUSEHOLDSThis is not a niche issue confined to gourmet stores. The flagged products span cooking oil, bread, pizza base, packaged chips, fruit juice, vitamins, ghee and bottled water — staples that sit in millions of Indian kitchens every single day. Consumers routinely pay a premium for products branded “organic”, “healthy”, “zero maida” or “vegan”, trusting the label at face value. When that trust is misplaced, it is not just a few rupees lost — it chips away at the credibility of every health and wellness claim on every supermarket shelf.Industry watchers have described this as FSSAI’s crackdown on “clean-washing” — the practice of food companies leaning on buzzwords like organic, vegan, healthy or zero-maida to charge premium prices while the actual ingredient list tells a different story.THE BIGGER PICTUREThis action does not stand alone. Earlier this month, FSSAI had already taken cognisance of social media complaints and issued notices to Nestlé India, KFC, Flipkart and the brand Open Secret, the last over allegations that its “Un-junked Dates” product, sold via Flipkart Minutes, contained insects. Last month, the regulator had also sent a notice to Eternal-owned quick-commerce platform Blinkit following complaints that eggs delivered through the app were smelly, rubbery and had a plastic-like texture. In May, FSSAI had additionally banned the use of the word “100” on food labels, terming it inherently misleading. Taken together, these point to a sustained, multi-front enforcement push by the food regulator rather than a one-off action.THE LAW BEHIND THE NOTICESThe notices invoke Section 53 of the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, under which any person publishing or party to an advertisement that is likely to mislead consumers about the nature, substance or quality of food, or that gives a false guarantee, is liable to a penalty extending up to Rs 10 lakh per offence. A related provision, Section 52, deals specifically with misbranding and false or misleading labelling, carrying a penalty of up to Rs 3 lakh.Crucially, these are show-cause notices, not final convictions. The companies are required to respond — typically within seven days, going by FSSAI’s past practice in similar cases — either by furnishing scientific substantiation for their claims or by withdrawing and modifying the offending names, taglines and packaging. Only if the response is found unsatisfactory does the matter proceed towards penalty, and in more serious or repeated violations, towards suspension or cancellation of the FSSAI licence itself.WHAT HAPPENS NEXTExpect the 14 companies to respond to FSSAI within the stipulated timeframe. Likely outcomes include rebranding or label changes — dropping terms such as “True Vitamin” or “Zero Maida”, qualifying “organic” claims, or removing unsupported vegan and health endorsements. Some brands may contest the notices and seek to substantiate their claims scientifically. Given the regulator’s recent pattern of action against Nestlé, KFC, Blinkit and Flipkart in the same month, further notices to other food and beverage companies cannot be ruled out.HOW CONSUMERS CAN PROTECT THEMSELVESCheck the FSSAI licence numberEvery legally sold packaged food product must carry a 14-digit FSSAI licence or registration number on the label. This can be verified on the FSSAI’s official FoSCoS portal (foscos.fssai.gov.in).Look for the Jaivik Bharat logoAny product claiming to be “organic” must carry this logo along with NPOP or PGS certification. Its absence — as seen in several brands named this week — is a red flag.Read beyond the front labelThe ingredient list and percentage composition on the back of the pack often tell a different story than the bold claim on the front, as with Storia’s 4 per cent juice concentrate.File a complaintConsumers who believe a product’s labelling or advertising is misleading can register a complaint with FSSAI through its web portal, the Food Safety Connect mobile app, its official helpline, or its social media handles. Complaints can also be filed with a Consumer Forum under the Consumer Protection Act, which can direct corrective action against the company concerned.