Maharashtra FDA chief says no one spared in Vimal ad crackdown

Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Tukaram Mundhe has said all celebrities and advertisers are accountable for surrogate promotions, defending notices to Shah Rukh Khan, Ajay Devgn and Tiger Shroff over a Vimal Elaichi ad. In an interview with PTI, Mundhe said the campaign was being examined as a possible surrogate for prohibited pan masala, noting the company had sold gutkha before. He said regulations apply to everyone across the advertising chain, and urged advertisers to follow FSSAI rules.

Mundhe said the FDA’s complaints portal, complaints.myfda.in, had resolved over 8,000 of more than 9,000 complaints in about a month. He added that the department was also cracking down on illegal tobacco sales, registering FIRs, and exploring provisions of organised crime law. The FDA is examining ads for other products and will act against misleading claims. Strict enforcement of rules on artificial colours and additives in food has also begun, he said.