The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has raised red flags over the increasing use of the term “100%” in food packaging and advertisements, cautioning that it can mislead consumers and violate food safety regulations.
In a recent advisory issued on Thursday, the apex food regulator directed all Food Business Operators (FBOs) to avoid using the term “100%” on product labels, promotional content, and packaging material. The Authority emphasised that such terminology is not only undefined under current regulations but also misleading and likely to create a false impression among consumers.
FSSAI pointed to a growing trend where food brands are frequently using “100%” in marketing their products, despite it not being mentioned or defined under the Food Safety and Standards (Advertising and Claims) Regulations, 2018 or the FSS Act, 2006.
Highlighting Sub-regulation 10(7), the advisory notes that no advertisement should discredit other manufacturers or mislead consumer perception. Further, Sub-regulation 4(1) mandates that all claims must be “truthful, unambiguous, meaningful, not misleading and help consumers to comprehend the information provided.”
The use of “100%”—whether as a standalone claim or in combination—can imply absolute purity or superiority, FSSAI warned, adding that such language could unfairly suggest that other similar products are of lower quality or non-compliant with standards.
To uphold fairness and transparency in food labelling, FSSAI has urged all FBOs to remove such terminology from all food-related promotional material and ensure that marketing practices align with regulatory requirements.
