Patanjali has been served a legal notice for using ‘cuttlefish bones’ in a dental care product marked vegetarian.
Non-veg product marked green
Use of ‘non-veg’ ingredients in products marketed & sold as vegetarian is a violation of consumer rights, says a notice issued by Delhi-based BLJ Law Firm.
It has accused the company of “deceptively” using a “non-vegetarian” ingredient in its dental care products — ‘Divya Dant Manjan’ — and denoting it with a “green” sign on the product label.
Context
“…The use of Samudra Fen, which is a non-vegetarian ingredient, in Divya Dant Manjan while marketing and selling it as a vegetarian product is the violation of the consumer rights and the labeling regulations of the said category of products (sic),” said the notice issued by Delhi-based BLJ Law Firm and undersigned by lawyer Sasha Jain.
Samudra Fen is an animal product obtained from the bones of cuttlefish.
It contains calcium carbonate, phosphate, sulfate and silica, which is used as a scraping agent in dental care products.
Fooling the public
“People buy Patanjali products blindly due to their faith in (Yoga guru) Baba Ramdev ji,” said the notice.
“Your company is expected to maintain the highest standards of ethics and transparency and the use of green mark for a product containing Samudra Fen, which is a fish, goes against these standards.”
“…Some of my family members, relatives, colleagues and friends use your Divya Dant Manjan, and their religious sentiments were hurt when they learned about the deceptive use of Samudra Fen in the product,” the notice said.
What the company claims
In the notice it asked the company for clarification within 15 days.
“By using this tooth powder, gums become strong.
Resultantly dental problems like Pieria (flow of blood and pus from the gums) would be solved and the tiny food particles that are left in between the gums would be pushed out,” says the product description.
“Bad odor from the mouth would cease. Saliva glands work properly and teeth would be healthy and shine well (sic)”
Samudra Fen is listed as one of the 16 ingredients used in the product.
