New Delhi, August 7 (newsalert24x7): The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has issued a prohibition order against PIE Foods, directing the company to immediately halt the manufacturing, marketing, and sale of its Monk Fruit Extract Sweetener and Monk Fruit Sweetener Drops.

The regulatory crackdown comes after an inspection revealed multiple severe infractions involving missing licence endorsements, unapproved e-commerce operations, and misleading health claims.

Key Regulatory Infractions Uncovered by FSSAI

According to official communications from the food regulator, PIE Foods committed several procedural and safety violations under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006:

  • Licensing Deficiencies: The company marketed products without a valid relabeller endorsement on its FSSAI Central Licence. Furthermore, PIE Foods operated an e-commerce platform selling food products without the mandatory e-commerce business endorsement.
  • Misleading Labels & Unverified Claims: Product packaging failed to feature mandatory statutory declarations while promoting unverified claims such as "100% Monk Fruit Extract" and "Natural Ingredients".
  • Violations in Advertising: The brand’s e-commerce portal displayed "Doctor Recommended" badges. FSSAI flagged this as a direct breach of the Food Safety and Standards (Labelling and Display) Regulations, 2020 and the Food Safety and Standards (Advertising and Claims) Regulations, 2018.

Unapproved Non-Specified Ingredient Status

In addition to licensing breaches, the regulator highlighted that monk fruit extract is classified as a non-specified food ingredient under Indian food safety frameworks.

Under statutory rules, food business operators (FBOs) must secure prior regulatory approval and safety assessments before incorporating non-specified ingredients into consumer products. PIE Foods has been instructed to suspend all sales until it secures a valid Central Licence alongside the necessary non-specified ingredient approvals.

FSSAI's Intensified Market Crackdown

The enforcement action against PIE Foods is part of an aggressive nationwide drive by FSSAI to purge misleading labels and unapproved health supplements from the market.

This action follows recent stringent regulatory measures taken by the apex regulator, including the license suspension of Kolkata-based Switz Foods Private Limited over severe hygiene violations, alongside strict orders against major FMCG brands regarding misleading "100%" natural claims.

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