Why
Shah
Rukh
Kha ,
Ajay
Devg
a d
Tige
Sh off
eceived
FDA
otices,
Pa
masala
adve tiseme t
co t ove sy
EXPLAINED
A
adve tiseme t
featu i g
Shah
Rukh
Kha ,
Ajay
Devg
a d
Tige
Sh off
fo
a
popula
pa
masala
b a d
has
come
u de
sc uti y
f om
the
Maha asht a
Food
a d
D ug
Admi ist atio .
The
egulato
has
questio ed
whethe
the
campaig
could
amou t
to
i di ect
p omotio
of
pa
masala
th ough
the
b a di g
associated
with
the
p oduct.The
otices
co ce
a
2024
campaig
i
which
the
th ee
acto s
appea ed
i
adve tiseme ts
fo
a
pa
masala
b a d,
which
is
ma keted
as
a
ca damom-based
mouth
f eshe e .
Maha asht a
FDA
Commissio e
Tuka am
Mu dhe
has
sought
expla atio s
f om
the
celeb ities
as
the
autho ity
exami es
whethe
the
campaig
c osses
the
li e
i to
su ogate
adve tisi g.
Why
the
adve tiseme t
has
come
u de
sc uti y
Acco di g
to
the
i e-page
show-cause
otice
accessed
by
NDTV,
the
ce t al
co ce
is
the
b a di g
used
i
the
Vimal
Elaichi
campaig .
Acco di g
to
the
FDA’s
otice,
the
ame
a d
p ese tatio
of
the
p oduct
could
c eate
a
associatio
with
the
popula
Pa
Masala.
The
egulato
has
aised
the
possibility
that
the
adve tiseme t
may
“mislead
co sume s”
by
p omoti g
a
legal
mouth
f eshe e
while
simulta eously
st e gthe i g
ecog itio
of
a
b a d
associated
with
pa
masala.The
acto s
have
epo tedly
bee
asked
to
stop
pa ticipati g
i
the
campaig
a d
emove
p omotio al
mate ial
co ected
with
it
f om
thei
social
media
accou ts.
They
have
also
bee
give
a
oppo tu ity
to
explai
thei
positio s.
What
the
FDA
is
questio i g
about
the
pa
masala
b a d
The
FDA’s
objectio
is
ot
epo tedly
about
ca damom
o
the
co sumptio
of
elaichi
itself.
I stead,
the
issue
evolves
a ou d
whethe
the
b a di g
of
the
mouth
f eshe e
ca
i di ectly
keep
a othe
est icted
p oduct
i
the
public
eye.
Regulato s
a e
exami i g
whethe
the
use
of
the
Vimal
ide tity
se ves
a
pu pose
beyo d
adve tisi g
the
legal
p oduct
bei g
featu ed.The
otice
epo tedly
aises
the
questio
of
whethe
the
b a di g
is
bei g
used
to
“mai tai ,
ei fo ce
o
e ha ce”
a
ide tity
li ked
to
pa
masala
o
tobacco- elated
p oducts.
U de sta di g
su ogate
adve tisi g
Su ogate
adve tisi g
i volves
p omoti g
a
p oduct
o
se vice
i
a
way
that
ca
also
ei fo ce
the
visibility
o
ide tity
of
a othe
p oduct
whose
adve tisi g
is
est icted.
The
issue
has
f eque tly
eme ged
a ou d
tobacco
a d
pa
masala
b a ds.
U de
Sectio
5
of
the
Ciga ettes
a d
Othe
Tobacco
P oducts
Act,
2003,
adve tisi g
ciga ettes
a d
othe
tobacco
p oducts,
i cludi g
ce tai
fo ms
of
i di ect
adve tisi g,
is
p ohibited.The
Maha asht a
FDA’s
actio
is
the efo e
focused
o
whethe
the
campaig
could
be
i te p eted
as
i di ect
p omotio
u de
the
applicable
legal
f amewo k.
Why
the
th ee
acto s
eceived
otices
The
egulato ‘s
sc uti y
exte ds
beyo d
the
adve tiseme t
to
the
celeb ities
who
e do sed
the
p oduct.
Shah
Rukh
Kha ,
Ajay
Devg
a d
Tige
Sh off
have
bee
asked
to
p ovide
expla atio s
ega di g
thei
i volveme t
i
the
campaig .
The
FDA
has
also
efe ed
to
the
Ce t al
Co sume
P otectio
Autho ity’s
Guideli es
fo
P eve tio
of
Misleadi g
Adve tiseme ts
a d
E do seme ts
fo
Misleadi g
Adve tiseme ts,
2022.As
pa t
of
the
i qui y,
the
acto s
have
epo tedly
bee
asked
to
p ovide
details
such
as
thei
e do seme t
ag eeme ts,
campaig
i fo matio ,
payme t
a a geme ts
a d
the
due
dilige ce
ca ied
out
befo e
associati g
themselves
with
the
adve tiseme t.
Howeve ,
the
otices
should
ot
be
i te p eted
as
a
fi al
dete mi atio
of
w o gdoi g.
A
show-cause
otice
gives
the
ecipie ts
a
oppo tu ity
to
espo d
to
the
allegatio s
befo e
fu the
actio
is
co side ed.
What
actio
could
follow
The
otices
epo tedly
efe
to
p ovisio s
co ce i g
misleadi g
adve tiseme ts
a d
celeb ity
e do seme ts.
Depe di g
o
the
fi di gs
afte
the
espo ses
a e
exami ed,
fi a cial
pe alties
o
est ictio s
o
futu e
e do seme ts
could
pote tially
follow.
The
otices
have
epo tedly
me tio ed
pe alties
a gi g
f om
Rs
10
lakh
to
Rs
50
lakh,
as
well
as
the
possibility
of
est ictio s
o
e do si g
p oducts
fo
up
to
th ee
yea s.
A y
fi al
actio ,
howeve ,
would
depe d
o
the
egulato ‘s
assessme t
of
the
espo ses
a d
the
applicable
p ovisio s.
Maha asht a’s
histo y
of
actio
agai st
gutka
a d
pa
masala
The
latest
developme t
comes
agai st
the
backd op
of
Maha asht a’s
lo g-sta di g
effo ts
to
egulate
gutka
a d
pa
masala
p oducts
co tai i g
p ohibited
i g edie ts.The
Bombay
High
Cou t
had
p eviously
co side ed
challe ges
i volvi g
the
state’s
est ictio s
o
gutka
a d
pa
masala.
The
legal
p oceedi gs
exami ed
p ovisio s
u de
the
Food
Safety
a d
Sta da ds
Act,
2006,
alo g
with
food
safety
egulatio s
co ce i g
p oducts
co tai i g
substa ces
such
as
tobacco
a d
icoti e.The
cou t
did
ot
g a t
i te im
elief
agai st
the
impleme tatio
of
the
Maha asht a
Food
Safety
Commissio e ‘s
o de ,
allowi g
the
egulato y
actio
to
co ti ue
u de
the
eleva t
food
safety
f amewo k.
What
happe s
afte
the
otices
Shah
Rukh
Kha ,
Ajay
Devg
a d
Tige
Sh off
ow
have
the
oppo tu ity
to
submit
thei
espo ses
to
the
Maha asht a
FDA.
The
egulato
will
the
co side
the
expla atio s
a d
othe
mate ial
befo e
decidi g
whethe
fu the
p oceedi gs
a e
wa a ted.The
co t ove sy
has
o ce
agai
b ought
celeb ity
e do seme ts
a d
su ogate
adve tisi g
i to
focus,
pa ticula ly
whe
a
seemi gly
legal
p oduct
ca ies
b a di g
closely
co ected
with
a
catego y
faci g
adve tisi g
est ictio s.