Rs 133 cr penalties, 5 lakh+ samples tested in last 3 yrs: Govt cracks down on misleading ads, food claims
FSSAI and CCPA flag thousands of non-compliant food ads and labels over three years as Centre tightens rules for influencers, platforms and AI-generated content.
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More than 5.21 lakh food samples were analysed over the last three years, uncovering over 1.12 lakh non-conforming cases, while the Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) has realised penalties worth ₹133 crore for misleading advertisements and unfair trade practices, the government told Parliament on December 17.
In a written reply to a Lok Sabha question, Minister of State for Consumer Affairs B.L. Verma said enforcement action under food safety and consumer protection laws has intensified amid the continued circulation of fake and misleading advertisements, particularly those falsely invoking the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), across digital and social media platforms.
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According to official data, in 2024–25 alone, authorities analysed 1,70,535 samples, of which 34,388 were found non-conforming. These included 22,516 cases of sub-standard, , 3,319 labelling defects or misbranding, and 7,945 unsafe or samples. Penalties imposed during the year amounted to ₹35.74 crore.
In comparison, 2023–24 saw penalties of ₹74.12 crore from 33,808 non-conforming samples, while 2022–23 recorded ₹23.93 crore in penalties from 44,630 non-compliant samples.
The minister said misleading food advertisements are governed by the Food Safety and Standards (Advertising and Claims) Regulations, 2018, under which advertisers, including endorsers, can face penalties of up to ₹10 lakh per violation under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006.
"Since its inception CCPA has realized penalties to the tune of Rs. 1,33,35,500. with respect to violation of rights of consumers, unfair trade practices and false or misleading advertisements in various sectors such as coaching institutes, consumer durables, health, wellness & hygiene claim, cosmetic products, false warranty claims, e-commerce sectors etc.," it was said.
Beyond food advertising, the government highlighted a broader regulatory push to curb deceptive online promotions, fraudulent investment ads and influencer-led misinformation.
The Consumer Protection Act, 2019 empowers the CCPA to order recalls, refunds and class actions, while the Guidelines for Prevention of Misleading Advertisements and Endorsements, 2022 impose due-diligence obligations on endorsers, including social media and virtual influencers.
The reply also underlined platform-level accountability measures under the IT Rules, 2021, which require intermediaries to remove unlawful content in a time-bound manner, operate grievance redressal systems, deploy automated tools to curb virality of illegal content, and risk loss of safe-harbour protections for non-compliance.
Separately, the government pointed to SEBI’s anti-fraud regulations to tackle misleading investment advertisements, including powers to suspend or cancel registrations.
Acknowledging the rise of AI-generated content and deepfakes, the Centre said existing IT rules strengthen due-diligence obligations for platforms that enable creation or modification of synthetic content, aiming to limit misuse that could mislead consumers or cause wider harm.
Despite the enforcement push, the government conceded that vigilance remains necessary as deceptive ads continue to evolve across digital ecosystems, requiring coordinated action by regulators, platforms, advertisers and influencers alike.
