The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has ramped up regulatory action across the food and beverage sector, issuing more than 150 notices to companies over alleged violations involving misleading advertisements, false product claims, and labelling requirements. The regulator has also seized food products found to be non-compliant with food safety standards.
Major Companies Under Scrutiny
Several well-known food and beverage companies have come under FSSAI's radar, including Nestle India, PepsiCo, Mondelez India, Coca-Cola India, Danone India, Ferrero India, Diageo, and Pernod Ricard. Energy drink manufacturers Red Bull, Monster, and Hell Energy have also received notices. As with any regulatory notice, these represent allegations requiring a formal response, not confirmed findings of wrongdoing.
What's Actually Being Questioned
The regulatory action centres on advertisements and product claims that allegedly don't comply with prescribed food safety and labelling requirements. Companies have been asked to respond to specific concerns around product packaging, labels, promotional material, and the claims made directly to consumers, particularly around health, nutrition, quality, and other product characteristics that appear on packaging and in marketing.
Quick-Commerce Platforms Now Under the Same Lens
FSSAI's scrutiny has extended well beyond traditional manufacturers to online marketplaces and quick-commerce platforms. The regulator has issued 12 notices to platforms operating in the online food and grocery delivery space, including Flipkart Minutes and Amazon Now. According to FSSAI data, the licence of an Amazon warehouse has also been cancelled, a notable escalation that signals how seriously digital marketplaces are now being treated as part of the broader food supply chain, not a separate, lighter-touch category.
Given how quickly products can reach consumers through these platforms, regulators are increasingly focused on whether the products listed actually meet food safety, licensing, and labelling requirements before they ever reach a doorstep.
Restaurants and Hotel Chains Also Facing Notices
The food-service sector hasn't been spared either. More than 30 notices have gone out to establishments associated with major brands like KFC, Pizza Hut, Domino's, Costa Coffee, and McDonald's. A further 20-plus notices have been issued to hotels and restaurants, including properties linked to international hospitality groups such as Marriott, Hilton, Hyatt, Radisson Hotel Group, Four Seasons, and Shangri-La.
These particular notices reportedly relate to alleged violations around calorie disclosure and menu labelling, part of a broader push to ensure consumers get clear, accurate information about what they're actually ordering.
Maharashtra Steps Up Its Own Enforcement
Alongside FSSAI's national action, the Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has intensified its own enforcement drive. During a recent special inspection push, officials checked 89 hotels, restaurants, and roadside eateries across the state, issuing improvement notices to 71 establishments and suspending the food business licences of 13.
In Mumbai specifically, establishments facing action included the Bombay Presidency Radio Club and a McDonald's outlet in Colaba, with inspections reportedly flagging issues around kitchen hygiene, pest control, food storage, employee personal hygiene, and food safety procedures. Khar Gymkhana was also flagged, with concerns raised over food storage practices, segregation of raw and prepared food, utensil cleaning, and medical records for food handlers.
A Broader Shift in Food Safety Enforcement
Taken together, these actions suggest food safety enforcement in India is no longer confined narrowly to manufacturing facilities. Manufacturers, online marketplaces, quick-commerce platforms, hotels, and restaurants are all increasingly being pulled into the same regulatory net, reflecting a growing emphasis on consumer protection across the entire food supply chain, not just at the point of production.
For businesses operating across this space, this level of scrutiny is a reminder of why maintaining thorough, up-to-date documentation and regular auditing services in india-backed compliance reviews matter, catching labelling or claims gaps internally before a regulator does is considerably less costly than responding to a formal notice after the fact.
With inspections and enforcement continuing to intensify, companies in the food and beverage sector should expect closer, ongoing scrutiny of their products, advertising, labelling, and distribution practices. What comes next will largely depend on how companies respond to these notices and what the resulting regulatory proceedings actually find.
FAQs
Q1. How many notices has FSSAI issued in this enforcement drive?
More than 150 notices across food manufacturers, quick-commerce platforms, and food-service establishments, covering alleged violations related to misleading ads, false claims, and labelling.
Q2. Which major companies have received notices?
Companies including Nestle India, PepsiCo, Mondelez India, Coca-Cola India, Danone India, Ferrero India, Diageo, Pernod Ricard, Red Bull, Monster, and Hell Energy, among others.
Q3. Are quick-commerce platforms also facing action?
Yes. FSSAI has issued 12 notices to online food and grocery platforms, including Flipkart Minutes and Amazon Now, and has also cancelled the licence of an Amazon warehouse.
Q4. What kind of violations have hotels and restaurants been flagged for?
Alleged violations related to calorie disclosure and menu labelling, alongside separate hygiene-related issues flagged by Maharashtra's FDA during recent state-level inspections.