Key Takeaways
- India’s food regulator finds Nestle baby food sample non-conforming with biotin requirements.
- Nestle faces legal cases for misleading claims on two other baby food products.
- Action marks part of India’s crackdown on the $100 billion food industry.
India’s food regulator has found a Nestle baby food sample to be substandard, leading to legal action against the Swiss company. The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) stated that a sample of Nestle’s ‘follow-up formula’ was ‘sub-standard with respect to biotin’.
Biotin, more commonly known as vitamin B7, has a standardized reference range in baby food as per Indian laws. The FSSAI’s re-analysis of the sample revealed it did not meet these requirements.
This action is part of India’s ongoing efforts to strengthen food safety regulations, which have included surprise factory visits and product testing. Nestle’s shares in India fell almost 3% following the news of the action.
The FSSAI has also filed cases over two other Nestle baby food products, NAN Excella Pro Stage 1, and Lactogen Pro 1, for making misleading claims in breach of regulations. Three separate adjudication cases have been filed against Nestle.
Nestle counts India as a key growth market, with milk and nutrition products, including infant formulas and baby foods, being its biggest revenue category in the year ending March 2026. These products generated a third of its product sales worth $2.4 billion.
This is not the first time Nestle has faced legal action in India. In 2015, the company’s popular Maggi noodles were banned over alleged excess lead levels and labelling lapses, leading to a massive recall. Maggi later returned to shelves after fresh tests.
The debate over food safety in India has intensified since Reuters reported last month that the government opted for a weaker labelling regime after lobbying by Coca-Cola and groups backing Nestle and PepsiCo. These groups argued that warning labels were ineffective. However, many companies have implemented such measures voluntarily in European markets.
