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Advocate Sharma contended that the toothpaste, which displayed a green dot indicating vegetarian status, actually contained Sepia officinalis (common cuttlefish), rendering the product non-vegetarian.
An Advocate named Yatin Sharma approached the Delhi High Court, on Friday claiming that Patanjali Ayurveda and Baba Ramdev are misbranding their products, particularly Divya Dant Manjan (toothpaste), as vegetarian.
The bench of Justice Sanjeev Narula issued a notice to Baba Ramdev, Patanjali Ayurveda, the Union government, and the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) to submit their response. The court listed the matter for November 28.
Advocate Sharma contended that the toothpaste while depicting a green dot, however, has the presence of Sepia officinalis (common cuttlefish) which makes the product non-vegetarian. The herbal tooth powder, Divya Dant Manjan, had been misbranded as vegetarian while containing a non-vegetarian component, Advocate Sharma stated.
The petitioner further contended that Baba Ramdev and others had promoted the product as vegetarian, in violation of the Drugs and Cosmetics Act.
Additionally, the Supreme Court closed contempt proceedings against Patanjali, its key aide Balkrishna, and Ramdev. These proceedings had arisen from allegations that Patanjali breached court orders related to misleading advertisements about its products. The Supreme Court had previously warned Patanjali in November 2023 to comply with legal standards and stop making misleading claims about its products. Although Patanjali's initial non-compliance led to contempt proceedings, the court ultimately accepted an apology from the company, closing the case but warning against future violations.
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