India's food regulator flagged 14 D2C brands for misleading claims, yet their products are still sold on Blinkit and Zepto. The persistence highlights a growing tension between regulatory oversight and the velocity of quick commerce distribution. Consumers are still buying "zero maida" bread with wheat gluten and "pomegranate juice" that is 96% concentrate.
How We Got Here
The FSSAI issued notices on June 14, 2026, targeting 14 D2C food brands for using deceptive health claims and branding. The regulator specifically called out claims like "Zero Maida" and "Organic" where products lacked certification or contained other ingredients.
The Numbers
- Storia's "Pomegranate Juice" contains only 4% concentrate despite its branding.
- Two Brothers Organic Farms' "organic" products lack mandatory NPOP/PGS certification.
- The Health Factory's "Zero Maida" bread product includes chakki fresh atta and wheat gluten.
- MediaNama reached out to quick-commerce players Zepto, Blinkit, and Instamart for comments.
What Happens Next
🇮🇳 Why This Matters for India
For D2C founders in Bangalore's food sector, this signals FSSAI's intent to enforce labelling standards, pushing them to audit every product claim before launch.
The Take
The actual problem here isn't FSSAI’s ability to flag brands; it's quick commerce platforms failing to act decisively on those flags. Expect FSSAI to pivot from issuing D2C notices to directly mandating delisting by Zepto and Blinkit within 90 days.
Source:
MediaNama ↗