Apex child rights body NCPCR on Wednesday asked Mondelez India-owned brand Bournvita to withdraw all “misleading” advertisements, packaging and labels after a video claimed that the health drink has high sugar content, news agency PTI reported on Wednesday.

In a notice to the confectionery major, the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) also asked it to send within seven days a detailed explanation or report to apprise the panel on the matter. The NCPCR said it has received a complaint alleging that Bournvita promotes itself as a health drink improving children’s growth and development but it contains high percentage of sugar and other substances that might impact a child’s health.

The notice came after a social media influencer sparked a row by posting a video alleging that Bournvita has high sugar content.

Though the influencer, Revant Himatsingka, deleted the video from all platforms after being served a legal notice by Mondelez India, it had already raked up around 12 million views and was widely circulated.

In the notice to Deepak Iyer, president-India, Mondelez International, the child rights body said,” The commission in this regard observes that the product manufactured by your company is misleading the customers through it product packaging and advertisements. The commission observes that your product’s labelling, packaging, display and advertisement claims are misleading for the general public.”

The product’s labelling and packaging also fails to acknowledge the correct information regarding the contents used in the Bournvita health drink, the NCPCR said.

It asked Mondelez International to review and withdraw all “misleading advertisements, packaging and labels, and further send a detailed explanation/report to apprise the commission in the said matter within seven days”.Although the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) did not specifically refer to the Bournvita issue, the regulator in a statement earlier this month said that it has taken note of various media reports, including on social media about various health claims made by the Food Business Operators (FBOs) in the country.

“FSSAI is actively discharging its statutory role for the sake of consumers by acting against the FBOs reported to be involved in making any false/misleading claims on food products to protect the interests of the consumers while ensuring fair trade practices and orderly growth of food industry in the country,” it said.

The regulator further said it has set up a dedicated advertisement monitoring committee which periodically scrutinises advertisements and claims being made by FBOs on various channels, including social media and e-commerce platforms.

ET had reported earlier that the activist body Consumer Voice has written to the Fssai and the department of consumer affairs, under the ministry of consumer affairs, food & public distribution, urging them to revise the regulations and labelling guidelines for the entire category.

NAPi India (Nutrition Advocacy in Public Interest), a think-tank on nutrition, tweeted: “The argument about Bournvita’s ingredients per serve is even more manipulative. Bournvita has almost 50% sugar per 100 grams. It’s way beyond the high sugar thresholds prescribed by WHO.” It tagged the World Health Organization, which has over 12 million followers on Twitter.

Bournvita however has rejected all these claims, termed the influencer’s video as unscientific.

Rejecting it, Bournvita in a statement said over the last seven decades, it has earned the trust of consumers in India by being a scientifically formulated product that adheres to quality standards and complies with the laws of the land.

“We would again like to reinforce that the formulation has been scientifically crafted by a team of nutritionists and food scientists to offer the best of taste and health. All our claims are verified and transparent and all ingredients have regulatory approvals. All the necessary nutritional information is mentioned on the pack for consumers to make informed choices,” said a Bournvita spokesperson.

In the video, Himatsingka who presents himself as a nutritionist and a health coach, claimed that Bournvita has sugar, cocoa solids and cancer-causing colourant.

However, he deleted the video after the legal notice and posted a statement on Instagram saying: “I have decided to take down the video across all platforms after receiving a legal notice from one of India’s biggest law firms on 13th April 2023.

“I apologize to Cadbury for making the video. I did not plan or intend to infringe any trademark or defame any company nor do I have the interest or resources to participate in any court cases and I request MNCs to not take this forward legally,” he said.

The company said Bournvita is best consumed with a glass of 200 millilitere of hot or cold milk as highlighted on the pack.

“Every serving of 20 gm of Bournvita has 7.5 grams of added sugar, which is approximately one and a half teaspoons. This is much less than the daily recommended intake limits of sugar for children,” said Mondelez India, the company which owns popular brands such as Cadbury Dairy Milk, 5 Star, Oreo cookie and Gems.

Moreover, over Caramel Colour (150 C), Bournvita said it “is within permissible limits as per guidelines defined by regulations”.

“All ingredients are safe, approved for use and within permissible limits as per the regulatory guidelines,” it said.

(With agency inputs)