Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration (FDA) commissioner Tukaram Mundhe reacted to the agency's action against celebrities endorsing surrogate product, saying everyone in the advertising chain were accountable.
“Everybody across the chain is responsible. It applies to all,” he said in an exclusive interview with PTI news agency. The FDA chief said the regulations were “applicable to all”, saying “nobody is going to be spared.”
This comes days after the Maharashtra FDA issued show-cause notices to Bollywood actors Shah Rukh Khan, Ajay Devgn and Tiger Shroff for their participation as brand endorsers in an advertisement for Vimal Elaichi, allegedly a tobacco product.
The FDA says that the campaign could be a surrogate or indirect promotion of prohibited pan masala/tobacco-related products.
‘Endorsers have to look into the guidelines and regulations of FSSAI’: Mundhe
Tukaram Mundhe said the advertisement was being examined as a possible surrogate for a prohibited product, because the company was found selling gutkha in the past. He said regulations apply to everyone involved in creating, publishing or sponsoring advertisements and claims, while urging endorsers to look into FSSAI rules.
“The issue is about Food Safety and Standards Regulations implementation. One of the regulations is about advertisement and misleading claims,” he told PTI, adding that the regulation came into existence in 2018 and came into force from July 1, 2019.
He further said, “Whatever the product somebody is endorsing, they have to look into the guidelines and regulations of FSSAI about advertising and claims. If wrongfulness is found, we will take action against those also.” The FDA, while issuing notices to the actors, said the campaign prima facie amounted to indirect or surrogate promotion of prohibited pan masala and tobacco-related products.
Mundhe also told PTI that the FDA's response was based on regulations concerning misleading claims, including surrogate advertisements. He asserted that any representation – physical, electronic, through social media or other media – which states, implies or suggests a claim which is not true is against the regulations.
“Advertisers found violating the provisions would be issued notices and asked to explain why action should not be initiated against them,” Mundhe said.
FDA suspends licences Blinkit, Zepto, Instamart facilities; raids eateries, restaurants
The Maharashtra FDA has raided several quick commerce outlets, as well as hotels, restaurants, eateries and online food platforms as part of its wider statewide crackdown over food safety violations.
The agency suspended the licence of M/s Parle Agro after finding expired stocks of Frooti, Appy and Apple Fizz at its Chembur godown. The Maharashtra FDA also suspended the licences of multiple food business establishments linked to online platforms including Blinkit, Zepto and Instamart, citing multiple food safety and hygiene violations, PTI news agency reported.
The FDA inspected 86 establishments across Maharashtra on August 13 that sell and deliver food through online platforms. It issued 60 improvement notices and ordered the temporary stoppage of operations at one facility.