Misleading Food Labels? Your ₹500 Health Buy May Be a Scam

India's food regulator FSSAI has flagged over a dozen food brands for making false or misleading health claims. Yet these products are still being sold on quick commerce apps. Here's how to protect your wallet and health.

Here's what happened: FSSAI flagged 15+ food brands including premium and organic labels for making unverified or misleading health and nutrition claims on their packaging.. Despite regulatory action, most of these flagged products continue to appear on quick commerce platforms like Blinkit, Zepto, and Swiggy Instamart with the same disputed claims still visible.. Misleading claims often include terms like 'immunity boosting', 'no added sugar', 'natural', or 'organic' — which can push consumers to pay 2x–5x the price of regular alternatives..

What you should do: Check the FSSAI-licensed product database at fssai.gov.in before buying any premium health food — verify the brand's licence status and any penalty notices.. Avoid paying a 'health premium' for buzzwords like 'superfood', 'detox', or 'immunity booster' — FSSAI does not officially certify these claims, so they are often marketing tactics.. Compare ingredient lists and nutrition labels of premium health products against standard supermarket alternatives — if the macros are similar, you are likely overpaying for branding..

Under FSSAI rules, any claim like 'high protein' or 'low fat' must meet specific numeric thresholds (e.g., 'high protein' requires at least 20% of energy from protein). If the label says it but the nutrition table doesn't back it up, that's a red flag.