Food safety bans ads, sales of two capsules

Thiruvananthapuram: The food safety department has banned the advertisement and sale of two capsules which were supplied as food supplements. The companies had taken the license to sell the capsules as drug supplements and were claiming it as a drug offering cure for various ailments through advertisements.

The assistant commissioner of food safety department in an order has banned the sale of Jamun and Glucosamine capsules which were sold as food supplements in the state. The ban comes for misleading the people with claims offering medical cure through a food supplement. In the advertisements given by the manufacturers, it was claimed that the capsules offer cure for diabetes, joint pains, varicose vein and various other muscle pains.

The food safety department in its order said that both the manufacturers had violated the Food Safety and Standards Act 2006 and Food Safety and Standards Regulations 2011. The department observed that as per the Act, labels should not use words implying the recommendations made by medical profession. “There shall not appear in the label of any package, containing food for sale the words recommended by medical profession or any words which imply or suggest that the food is recommended, prescribed or approved by medical practitioners or approved for medical purpose,” says the Act.

The order said no advertisement should be made of any food which is misleading or deceiving or contravenes the provision of FSS Act Rules and Regulations made there under.

CAPSULE, the movement under Kerala Sastra Sahitya Parishad against the magical cure offered by various manufacturers, had approached the food safety department with the complaint.