FSSAI flags Heritage Foods over 'Fresh Paneer' label; company defends claim
FSSAI issued a notice to Heritage Foods over allegedly misleading 'Fresh Paneer' labelling. The company responded that the term reflects its preservative-free, refrigerated product, asserting full regulatory compliance and mandatory label declarations.
What happened
FSSAI issued a notice to Heritage Foods over 'misleading' claims on its 'Fresh Paneer' label. The company responded, clarifying the term refers to its
Why this matters
Tightening FSSAI enforcement on dairy labelling raises compliance-diligence stakes for any dairy acquisition or partnership and could pressure smaller players toward consolidation.
What to watch
- FSSAI follow-up order, penalty, or closure notice on Heritage
- Expansion of notices to other packaged dairy/paneer brands
- Any FSSAI draft guideline defining 'fresh' or 'natural' for dairy
- Consumer/media amplification or PIL-style escalation
- Heritage Foods stock reaction and management commentary in earnings calls
- Heritage files formal reply asserting mandatory declaration compliance and refrigerated, preservative-free basis for 'fresh' claim
- Legal/regulatory affairs teams across peer dairy brands audit their own front-of-pack claims preemptively
- Industry associations (e.g., dairy processors' body) lobby FSSAI for clear definitional guidance
- Marketing teams prepare fallback claim language ('refrigerated', 'no added preservatives') to de-risk exposure