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Fish extract in 'vegetarian' product? Centre's stand sought as Ramdev’s Patanjali accused of misbranding
Ramdev's Patanjali in hot water: The petitioner has claimed that the alleged discovery of fish extract was "distressing" for him and his family .
Patanjali Ayurved Limited, led by yoga guru Ramdev, is once again under legal scrutiny as the Delhi high court has demanded responses from the Centre, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), and the company over a petition alleging misbranding of its "Divya Dant Manjan" dental care product.
The petition, filed by lawyer Yatin Sharma, claims that despite "Divya Dant Manjan" being marketed with a green dot — an indicator of vegetarian status — it actually contains “samudraphen,” a fish-derived compound.
This, according to Sharma, constitutes "misbranding" under the Drugs and Cosmetics Act. Although the law does not mandate specific labelling for drugs as vegetarian or non-vegetarian, the use of the green dot qualifies as "misbranding" under the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, the petitioner's counsel argued.
Justice Sanjeev Narula issued notice to the Centre, the FSSAI as well as Patanjali, Divya Pharmacy, Yoga guru Ramdev and other related parties on Sharma's petition.
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The petitioner, represented by advocates Swapnil Chaudhary and Prashant Gupta, said the discovery was "distressing" for him and his family, particularly because they adhere to a strict vegetarian diet due to religious beliefs.
"Respondent No. 3 (Patanjali Ayurveda) is selling the same product with a green dot on their official website, indicating that the product is vegetarian in nature, which is contradictory.
"The Petitioner seeks redressal for the profound distress caused by the inadvertent consumption of a non-vegetarian product, emphasizing the importance of upholding religious beliefs and ensuring transparency in product representation," the petition, filed through lawyers Mohit Solanki and Pulkit Chaudhary, stated.
The matter would be heard next in November.
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Contempt proceedings against Ramdev
The legal trouble for Patanjali is the latest in a series of challenges it has faced in recent times.
On August 13, the Supreme Court closed contempt proceedings against Patanjali, its key aide Balkrishna, and Ramdev. The contempt case stemmed from allegations that Patanjali violated court orders related to misleading advertisements about its products.
In November 2023, the Supreme Court issued a stern warning to Patanjali, demanding compliance with legal standards and ceasing any misleading claims about its products’ medicinal benefits. Despite this, the court found that Patanjali had initially failed to adhere to these undertakings, leading to contempt proceedings. The Supreme Court had taken issue with Patanjali’s advertisements, which allegedly continued to mislead the public about the efficacy of its products and the Covid-19 vaccination drive.
The Supreme Court finally accepted an unqualified apology from Patanjali and its representatives, closing the contempt case but cautioning against future violations.
With PTI inputs
