FSSAI directs PIE Foods to halt sale of monk fruit sweetener products over regulatory violations

New Delhi: The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) on Friday said that it issued a prohibition order directing PIE Foods to immediately stop the sale of its Monk Fruit Extract Sweetener and Monk Fruit Sweetener Drops after finding multiple violations of licensing and food safety regulations.

According to the food regulator, an inspection found that the products were being marketed by PIE Foods without a valid relabeller endorsement in its FSSAI licence.

Taking to the social media platform X, it noted that the company was operating an e-commerce website without the required e-commerce business endorsement in its licence.

FSSAI said the product labels lacked mandatory declarations and carried claims such as ‘100 per cent Monk Fruit Extract’ and ‘Natural Ingredients’.

In addition, the company’s e-commerce platform displayed the claim ‘Doctor Recommended’, which the regulator said appeared to be in violation of the Food Safety and Standards (Labelling and Display) Regulations, 2020 and the Food Safety and Standards (Advertising and Claims) Regulations, 2018.

In view of the violations, the regulator directed the company under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 to immediately discontinue the sale of the two monk fruit sweetener products until it obtains a valid FSSAI Central Licence with the required endorsements.

FSSAI also said the company must secure the necessary regulatory approval for the use of monk fruit extract which is treated as a non-specified food ingredient under the applicable provisions of the Food Safety and Standards Act, before resuming sales.

The prohibition order is part of the regulator’s enforcement action to ensure that food businesses comply with licensing, labelling, advertising and food safety requirements before marketing products to consumers.

Earlier, the food regulator suspended the food business licence of Switz Foods Private Limited after an inspection of its manufacturing facility uncovered serious violations of food safety and hygiene norms.

IANS