FSSAI flags Nestlé dairy whitener at The Lalit hotel, Delhi, as unsafe

The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has flagged a Nestlé “Low Fat Dairy Whitener” after laboratory testing of a sample collected from The Lalit hotel in New Delhi found it to be “unsafe” and “substandard”.

The sample was collected from the premises of Bharat Hotels Ltd., which operates The Lalit in Connaught Place.

FSSAI said laboratory analysis found the product non-compliant with food safety requirements under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006.

The regulator said a copy of the laboratory analysis report was provided to Bharat Hotels for reference and necessary action. It also issued a notice to the company regarding the non-compliant product manufactured by Nestlé.

Bharat Hotels has been given an opportunity to appeal against the Food Analyst’s report under the applicable provisions of the 2006 Act within the prescribed period.

FSSAI also directed the food business operator to immediately prohibit the sale of the identified product.

The regulator’s public post did not specify the particular parameter or contaminant that led the Food Analyst to classify the sample as both unsafe and substandard. It also did not disclose the batch number, quantity covered by the action or the specific laboratory findings.

Under India’s food safety framework, “substandard” refers to products that fail to meet prescribed standards or specifications, while the “unsafe” classification applies to food considered unsuitable for consumption under applicable provisions of the law.

FSSAI did not indicate whether separate proceedings had been initiated against Nestlé as the manufacturer. The notice cited by the regulator was issued to Bharat Hotels, the food business operator from whose premises the sample was collected.