NEW DELHI, Sept 18 (Reuters) – India’s food regulator on Friday said it found a Nestle baby food sample substandard in testing and has begun legal action against the company, the latest multinational to fall foul of the country’s food safety drive.
Indian authorities found a sample of “follow-up formula”, which is a milk product for infants, “sub-standard with respect to biotin” food additive, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) said in a social media post.
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, it said.
Nestle did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Shares in Nestle India fell as much as 2.8% on Friday.
Indian authorities have launched a crackdown on food adulteration and advertisements in recent months and has proposed stricter labelling norms for packaged food items. They have also stepped up scrutiny of food business operators and have shut down some outlets of Domino’s, Pizza Hut and McDonald’s.
Nestle previously sparred with the food regulator in 2015, when authorities banned its popular Maggi noodles nationwide over alleged excess lead levels and labelling lapses, triggering a massive recall. Maggi later returned to shelves after fresh tests.