The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India has directed Dabur India to immediately stop selling identified food items carrying claims such as “100% Natural,” “100% Pure” and “100% Organic.”

The prohibition order covers the products named in the regulator’s notice and any other Dabur food products carrying similar misleading “100%” wording. The company has also been asked to submit an Action Taken Report within 15 days. For consumers, the action could change the language commonly seen on bottles, jars and packets. For food companies, it is another warning that absolute claims must be supported by clear regulatory standards and verifiable evidence.

Which Dabur Food Products Were Flagged?

The categories identified in the reports include:

• -Honey
• -Organic apple cider vinegar
• -Virgin coconut oil
• -Sesame oil
• -Cow ghee
• -Coconut water
• -Coconut milk

FSSAI said products listed on the Dabur website carried wording such as “100% Natural,” “100% Pure,” “100% Purity Guaranteed,” “100% Organic” and “100% Tender Coconut Water.” The regulator described these claims as ambiguous, unverifiable and likely to mislead consumers. The order is therefore not a general ban on every product made by Dabur India. It applies to the identified items and other company products using the disputed “100%” language.

Why FSSAI Objects to ‘100%’ Claims

FSSAI’s position is that the term “100%” is not defined or referenced under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, or the relevant regulations. Without a recognised definition, a phrase such as “100% Natural” may not tell consumers what standard has been applied, how the claim was tested or what exceptions might exist. In its May 2025 advisory, the regulator told food business operators not to use “100%” claims on food labels, packaging and promotional material. It said such wording may create a false impression of complete purity, quality or superiority over competing products. The latest action against Dabur applies that broader position to specific food products.

The Separate Organic-Certification Issue

The order is not based only on “100%” wording. FSSAI also alleged that Dabur Himalayan Organic Apple Cider Vinegar and Dabur Organic Honey displayed the Jaivik Bharat logo without a valid FSSAI organic endorsement.

Jaivik Bharat is used to identify food that meets India’s recognised organic-food requirements. The regulator said using the logo without a valid endorsement violated the Food Safety and Standards (Organic Foods) Regulations, 2017. This means the order involves two distinct regulatory concerns:

• -Allegedly misleading absolute claims
• -Alleged unauthorised use of an organic-certification logo

The two issues should not be presented as the same violation.

Why Dabur Hommade Coconut Milk Was Flagged

FSSAI specifically referred to Dabur Hommade Coconut Milk, which was marketed using a “100% Purity” claim. The regulator said such an absolute purity claim was not permissible for a compound food under the Advertising and Claims Regulations. A compound food contains more than one ingredient or component. Describing such a product as completely pure may therefore create confusion unless the precise meaning of “purity” is clearly defined and legally supported.

This Is Not the First FSSAI Action Over ‘100%’

In June 2024, FSSAI directed food businesses to remove claims such as “100% fruit juice” from labels and advertisements for reconstituted fruit juices.

The regulator allowed companies to use existing packaging material until September 1, 2024. Dabur India, which markets the Real range of fruit beverages, later approached the Delhi High Court over the application of that direction.

FSSAI expanded its public position in May 2025 by asking all food business operators to discontinue “100%” claims on labels and promotional material. The August 2026 prohibition order is therefore not a completely new interpretation. FSSAI said Dabur had previously been told to discontinue the disputed wording but had not taken satisfactory corrective action.

What the Order Means for Other Food Brands

The latest prohibition order specifically names Dabur, but FSSAI’s wider advisory applies across India’s packaged-food industry. Other companies using labels such as “100% Pure,” “100% Natural” or similar absolute wording may also need to review whether those claims meet the advertising regulations. Possible changes for companies could include:

• -Revising product labels
• -Removing unsupported absolute wording
• -Updating websites and advertisements
• -Checking organic certifications
• -Reprinting packaging
• -Training marketing teams on permitted claims

However, the order does not mean words such as “pure,” “natural” or “organic” are automatically prohibited in every situation. Their use must comply with the applicable definitions, conditions and evidence requirements.

What Consumers Should Check

Consumers should not assume that a large “100%” claim automatically guarantees superior quality. Instead, buyers can review:

• -The full ingredient list
• -Nutrition information
• -Applicable certifications
• -Manufacturing and expiry dates
• -Allergen declarations
• -The identity of the manufacturer
• -Specific measurable claims on the label

A product may still comply with safety and quality standards even after disputed marketing language is removed. The current order concerns labelling, advertising claims and organic endorsement; the reports do not state that all the named products were found unsafe to consume. That distinction is important. A misleading claim and a food-safety failure are not necessarily the same issue.

What Happens Next?

Dabur has been ordered to stop selling the identified products and other items carrying misleading “100%” claims immediately. The company must submit an Action Taken Report to FSSAI within 15 days, explaining the corrective steps it has taken. The reports reviewed so far do not include Dabur’s public response to the latest order.

Its next steps could determine whether products return with revised packaging, whether the company seeks clarification or whether it challenges parts of the action through legal proceedings. For the wider packaged-food industry, the message is already clear: claims on food products must be specific, legally recognised and capable of verification. A bold promise on the front of a packet is not enough on its own.