India’s food safety regulator has taken decisive action against two companies in separate cases, signaling an intensifying crackdown on quality lapses in the packaged goods and health supplement sectors.
The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) announced on Monday that it had suspended the operating licence of Matri Drinking Water, based in Gomati district, Tripura, after an inspection uncovered serious lapses in food safety and hygiene protocols. The regulator’s action followed a consumer complaint alleging the presence of foreign matter in the company’s packaged drinking water.
According to FSSAI, investigators found finished products being stored outdoors, mixed with non-food items, and placed directly on the ground—conditions that significantly heighten the risk of contamination. The inspection also flagged deteriorating infrastructure within the plant, citing damaged walls, peeling paint, cobweb-covered surfaces, and insufficient pest management systems in the areas where water is processed and bottled.
In a parallel enforcement action, the regulator issued a prohibition order against Noble Healthcare, a Mohali-based firm in Punjab, barring it from manufacturing, storing, distributing, or selling its supplement product “Venolex Forte.”
FSSAI’s review found that the product incorporated ingredients that fall outside the bounds of permitted regulations. It also determined that the supplement’s vitamin C content, listed at 90 mg, surpasses the Recommended Dietary Allowance established under the ICMR-NIN 2020 guidelines.
Beyond the vitamin overage, regulators identified the presence of pharmacologically active compounds in the formulation—Calcium Dobesilate, Diosmin, and Euphorbia Prostrata—none of which are sanctioned for use under the FSS (Health Supplements, Nutraceuticals, Food for Special Dietary Use, Food for Special Medical Purpose, Functional Food and Novel Food) Regulations of 2022.
The twin actions underscore FSSAI’s growing scrutiny of both traditional food processors and the rapidly expanding health supplement industry, an area regulator have increasingly targeted over unsubstantiated wellness claims and formulations that blur the line between food and pharmaceutical products.
