FSSAI asks Nestle, Complan maker to prove infant formula and growth claims

India's food regulator, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), has issued notices to Nestle India and to Zydus Wellness, the maker of Complan, asking both companies to prove health and growth claims made on their products. The notices, reported on Wednesday, October 21, 2026, question claims on two Nestle infant formulas, Lactogen Pro 1 and NAN Excella Pro Stage 1, and slogans such as "2X Faster Growth" on Complan. Both companies have been asked to explain why action should not be taken under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006.

Infant formula is one of the most tightly regulated foods in India, because it is given to babies who cannot judge what they eat and whose parents rely on the label. The FSS (Foods for Infant Nutrition) Regulations, 2020 limit promotional claims that are meant to push up the sale of infant foods. On September 18, 2026, FSSAI said it had started legal action against Nestle India over claims on NAN Excella Pro Stage 1 and Lactogen Pro 1, citing Regulation 4(2) of those rules, and over a follow-up formula that a laboratory found sub-standard in its biotin content. Nestle India rejected the charge at the time and said the products and their labels had been approved by an expert committee of FSSAI. The new notices keep that dispute open and put the question of evidence squarely on the company.

HMOs, or human milk oligosaccharides, are complex sugars found naturally in breast milk. Formula makers now add laboratory-made versions to some products. Whether a label may link them to the immune system is exactly the kind of claim the regulator wants either proved or removed.

The Complan notice widens the issue from babies to older children. Health drinks for school-age children have long been sold on promises of height, memory and immunity. Phrases such as "clinically proven" carry weight with parents, so the regulator is asking what study stands behind them and whether the wording goes further than the evidence. Under the 2018 advertising rules, a health claim on food must be backed by scientific evidence and must not mislead.

For readers who follow traditional Indian eating habits, the case is also a reminder that a label is a marketing message as well as a description. Growth and immunity in children depend on a varied diet over years, and no single product can be judged on a slogan alone.

Short-term: Both companies must reply within the deadline set in the notices. FSSAI will then decide whether the claims can stay, must be changed, or should lead to proceedings under the Food Safety and Standards Act. Packaging and advertisements may have to be revised if the evidence is not accepted.

Long-term: The notices add to a run of action by FSSAI this festive season against labels and health claims, including recent notices to supplement makers. A firm line on infant formula and children's health drinks could push the whole category towards plainer labels and fewer performance promises.

Who is affected: Parents who buy infant formula or children's health drinks, Nestle India and Zydus Wellness, other makers of baby food and nutrition drinks that use similar wording, and retailers and online platforms that sell these products.

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