A law firm based in Delhi has issued legal notice to Patanjali Ayurved Limited, alleging that it was ‘deceptively’ using a non-vegetarian ingredient in its dental care products – ‘Divya Dant Manjan’ and passing it off as a vegetarian product by displaying a green sign on the product label.
The notice issued by Advocate Shasha Jain of BLJ Law Firm said that the use of Samudra Fen (cuttlefish bones), which was a non-vegetarian ingredient, in Divya Dant Manjan while marketing and selling it as a vegetarian product was a violation of the consumer rights and the labeling regulations of the said category of products.
The lawyer said some of her family members, relatives, colleagues and friends were using the Divya Dant Manjan, and their religious sentiments were hurt when they learned about the deceptive use of Samudra Fen in the product.
Jain said she was herself using many products from Patanjali, but was feeling reluctant to use them, until she received clarification from the company regarding this matter.
Seeking reply within 15 days, Jain said legal proceedings would be initiated against the company before appropriate authorities and the court of law.
The notice was issued to Patanjali Ayurved Limited, its CEO & Director Swami Ramdev and Acharya Balakrishnan, another CEO & Director of the company.
It said people bought Patanjali products blindly due to their immense faith in Baba Ramdev, who has been the face of the company since its beginning. The renowned Yoga instructor has endorsed massively for the Patanjali products.
The Advocate noted that the company was expected to maintain the highest standards of ethics and transparency. Use of green mark for a product containing Samudra Fen, which was a fish, went against these standards, she added.
‘Samudra Fen’ is an animal product obtained from the bones of cuttlefish, which is biologically known by the name of Sepia Officinalis. It contains calcium carbonate, phosphate, sulfate and silica, which was used as a scraping agent in dental care products.
The 16 ingredients mentioned on the cover of Patanjali Divya Kanti Manjan include samudra fen.
Read the notice here:
