ASCI flags rising pressure on FMCG brands for clearer health claims and nutrition labels

ASCI chief Manisha Kapoor says consumers are demanding disclosures beyond minimum compliance, while brands face tighter scrutiny of comparative ads, alcohol extensions and influencer-led health claims.

— Source publishedWed, 16 Sept, 2026, 10:53 IST·First seen Wed, 16 Sept, 2026, 10:57 IST·Source Forbes India

What happened

Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI) · ASCI chief Manisha Kapoor says Indian consumers demand clearer food health claims and nutritional disclosures,

Why this matters

Corporate-development teams should diligence regulatory-ready claims libraries, labeling capabilities and influencer controls in targets, as weak governance can create post-deal reputational and remediation costs.

What to watch

  • ASCI rulings or complaint volumes involving nutrition, immunity, weight-management, protein, sugar-free or children's food claims.
  • FSSAI consultations, labeling amendments or enforcement actions affecting front-of-pack nutrition disclosure.
  • High-profile action against surrogate alcohol advertising or alcohol-brand extensions.
  • Retailer or e-commerce platform requirements for nutrition data, substantiation documents or product-page disclosures.
  • Consumer backlash, creator-led criticism or social-media virality around misleading health claims.
  • Competitor launches featuring simplified nutrition panels, warning-style disclosures or independently verified claims.
  • Audit all health, nutrition, comparative and 'free-from' claims against evidence files, pack language and influencer scripts.
  • Create a cross-functional claims-review process spanning regulatory, legal, R&D, packaging and digital marketing before campaign release.
  • Prioritize clearer front-of-pack disclosures for sugar, salt, fat, protein and serving-size context in categories with high consumer scrutiny.
  • Build influencer contracts that require disclosure compliance, approved claim language and takedown rights for non-compliant posts.
  • Prepare reformulation and packaging-change roadmaps for products whose positioning depends on ambiguous wellness or nutrition claims.
  • Monitor competitors’ disclosure upgrades; early movers may reset consumer expectations and raise the effective standard for the category.

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