Nestlé India rejects FSSAI non-compliance concerns over infant nutrition products

Nestlé India on Friday rejected concerns over alleged non-compliance with Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) regulations for its infant nutrition products, maintaining that its products sold in the country fully meet applicable regulatory requirements.

The clarification came amid reports raising questions over whether certain infant nutrition products complied with FSSAI standards. Nestlé India said it follows all prescribed regulations governing the composition, quality, safety and labelling of infant nutrition products and stressed that consumer safety remains a priority.

Company rejects concerns

Nestlé India said concerns over regulatory non-compliance were unfounded and maintained that its infant nutrition portfolio complies with standards laid down by the Indian food regulator.

The company said its products undergo stringent quality and safety checks and are manufactured in accordance with applicable Indian regulations. It also stressed that infant nutrition is a highly regulated category and that its products are formulated and marketed within the framework prescribed by authorities.

Nestlé India said it remains committed to transparency and compliance and follows established processes to ensure that products reaching consumers conform to required standards.

The company’s clarification assumes significance because infant and young-child nutrition products are subject to particularly stringent rules governing ingredients, nutritional composition, labelling and marketing.

FSSAI rules in focus

India regulates infant nutrition products through food safety standards that prescribe requirements for infant formula, follow-up formula, complementary foods and other products intended for babies and young children.

Manufacturers are required to comply with specifications covering nutritional content, permitted ingredients, food additives, contaminants and labelling. The regulatory framework also places restrictions on how infant milk substitutes and feeding products can be promoted.

Nestlé India maintained that its products meet these requirements and said its formulations are developed within the regulatory framework applicable in the country.

The company also emphasised that compliance involves multiple layers of testing and quality assurance before products are released into the market.

Infant food under scrutiny

Infant nutrition has faced heightened scrutiny in India and globally in recent years, particularly over sugar content, nutritional composition and differences in formulations sold across markets.

Nestlé has previously faced questions over added sugar in certain baby-food products sold in lower- and middle-income countries, including India. The company had responded by saying its products complied with local and international requirements and that it had been working to reduce added sugar across its infant cereal portfolio.

The latest clarification is specifically centred on compliance with Indian food safety regulations, with Nestlé India rejecting suggestions that its infant nutrition products fail to meet FSSAI requirements.

Regulatory scrutiny of packaged food has also increased as authorities focus on clearer nutritional information, responsible marketing and stronger safeguards for products consumed by children.

‘Compliance non-negotiable’

Nestlé India said quality, safety and regulatory compliance are fundamental to its operations and maintained that it would continue to work within the standards prescribed by Indian authorities.

The company said consumers could be assured that infant nutrition produ