India’s food regulator has opened three separate adjudication cases against Nestlé India over infant nutrition products, putting the spotlight not only on how baby foods are marketed to parents but also on whether products sold in the market meet the prescribed nutritional standards.The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) said it examined Nestlé’s infant nutrition products and their promotional material available on e-commerce platforms. Its scrutiny covered NAN Excella Pro Stage 1, Lactogen Pro 1 and a follow-up formula.False claims made to parentsFor NAN Excella Pro Stage 1, FSSAI flagged claims referring to “5 HMOs” and “Whey Protein”. In Lactogen Pro 1, it flagged a claim describing whey protein as “easy to digest”.The regulator said it sought clarifications from Nestlé and subsequently found the promotional material for the two products contrary to Regulation 4(2) of the Food Safety and Standards (Foods for Infant Nutrition) Regulations, 2020. The provision restricts promotional claims or material intended to increase the saleability of infant foods.FSSAI also invoked Section 3 of the Infant Milk Substitutes, Feeding Bottles and Infant Foods Act, 1992, which places restrictions on advertising and promotion of infant milk substitutes and specified infant foods. The law’s stated purpose includes protecting and promoting breastfeeding and ensuring proper use of infant foods.This makes the e-commerce finding particularly relevant for consumers. FSSAI is scrutinising the digital sales pitch reaching parents, rather than treating infant-food compliance as merely a matter of what is printed on a physical pack.Laboratory findingIn a separate matter, FSSAI said a sample of a Nestlé-manufactured follow-up formula was found to be sub-standard for biotin during laboratory analysis.The sample was sent for re-analysis, however, the Referral Laboratory also found it non-conforming with the biotin requirement prescribed under the 2020 infant-nutrition regulations, according to FSSAI’s account. Three separate adjudication cases were subsequently filed in relation to the products.The distinction mattersThe biotin finding is a product-standard issue, while the other two cases concern promotion and saleability claims. The available information does not establish that the affected products caused illness or that all batches of the products were defective.Action mattersInfant formula occupies an unusually sensitive regulatory category because parents may rely heavily on claims about nutritional composition, digestibility and added ingredients when choosing products for babies.The episode therefore shows a broader enforcement challenge for FSSAI, which is that the compliance has to cover both — the product inside the pack and the claims surrounding it.It also comes amid increasing FSSAI scrutiny of food marketing and claims across the packaged-food industry.Nestlé India had not responded to The Tribune’s request for comment at the time of its report.