By Suneera Tandon
Fast moving consumer goods company Darbur India on Sunday said it is filing a complaint with advertising watchdog Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI) against rival Marico over purity claims made by the latter’s honey brand.
The move follows Dabur’s honey sample having failed a key sugar adulteration test in an investigation led by the Center of Science and Environment (CSE) last week—a claim Dabur has so far disputed.
Marico’s honey brand sold under Saffola, on the other hand, cleared the globally-accepted Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy (NMR) test that CSE used to detect sugar syrups in honey.
“Dabur is filing a complaint in ASCI against Marico as their Saffola Honey sample from the market has failed the NMR test. Test reports clearly indicate presence of sugar syrup in Saffola honey. Their claim on NMR test is misleading the consumers,” a Dabur spokesperson said.
Dabur spokesperson added that as per a 03 December clarification issued by India’s food regulator the Food Safety & Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), the company’s honey brand has cleared FSSAI mandated tests, including specific test like the Specific Marker for Rice syrup test.
“Dabur has cleared all the above FSSAI-mandated tests, including SMR, besides voluntarily conducting NMR test periodically to ensure that our consumers get 100% Pure honey with no added sugar or syrups or any other adulterants,” the company spokesperson said.
Meanwhile, Marico said it had registered a complaint with ASCI in October challenging Dabur’s assertions that its brand is NMR-tested. ASCI considered Dabur’s claims as “false and misleading by implication and omission and upheld under Chapter 1.4 of the ASCI Code,” a Marico spokesperson said.
ASCI has processed four complaints in the honey category this year, Mint reported earlier. Overall, three out of the four complaints were upheld as they were found to be in contravention of ASCI codes.
The maker of Saffola cooking oil and honey has filed another complaint with ASCI following the CSE report questioning Dabur’s claims.
The complaint has been admitted by ASCI and taken on record for further hearing, the company spokesperson said.
Packaged honey market in India is pegged at Rs1,500 crore—with Dabur cornering a significant share of the market. Marico entered the category earlier this year. The two companies are now warring over purity of their respective brands. In fact, Dabur moved the Delhi High Court against Marico earlier this year over allegations that Marico copied the design and packaging of its existing honey brand.
Brands have gone into damage control mode since the CSE investigation found adulteration in 77% of honey brands it tested basis the NRM test. CSE’s study found that most brands are spiked with sugar syrups.
Brands have since been aggressively advertising trying to win back consumer trust at a time when sales of honey have surged as consumers seek more healthy offerings such as honey that is considered an anti-oxidant in its pure form. ( Livemint )
