Food Authority Chief Calls for Collective Responsibility in Ad Compliance

Tukaram Mundhe, chief of the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), has emphasized that responsibility for regulatory compliance extends across the entire advertising ecosystem. Speaking on recent action taken against prominent entertainment figures, Mundhe highlighted the importance of understanding and implementing the authority's established advertising and claims regulations.

The FSSAI chief's remarks come as the regulator has intensified scrutiny of misleading or non-compliant food and health product advertisements, particularly those endorsed by celebrities with significant reach among Indian consumers. Mundhe stressed that awareness of regulatory frameworks must be prioritized by advertisers, endorsers, and promotional agencies alike.

"Everybody is responsible," Mundhe stated, underscoring that compliance cannot be relegated to a single stakeholder in the advertising value chain. The FSSAI's advertising and claims regulations establish clear parameters for product representations, substantiation of health claims, and disclosure requirements that all parties involved in promotion must observe.

The authority has previously issued guidelines requiring that claims made in advertisements be backed by scientific evidence and that disclaimers be prominently displayed. Mundhe's intervention signals the regulator's commitment to enforcing these standards uniformly, regardless of the profile or influence of those involved in promotional campaigns.

The FSSAI continues to engage with industry bodies and stakeholders to strengthen compliance mechanisms and build awareness of regulations governing food and health product advertising in India.