Stories
Tukaram Mundhe Defends FDA Notice to Bollywood Stars Over Tobacco Ads
- •Maharashtra FDA Commissioner Tukaram Mundhe defended action taken against Shah Rukh Khan, Ajay Devgn, and Tiger Shroff for alleged surrogate advertising of tobacco products.
- •Mundhe stated that the actors will be granted another hearing before any further steps are taken regarding the notices issued over the Vimal Elaichi campaign.
- •The FDA contends that promoting a permitted product under a brand associated with a prohibited item constitutes surrogate advertising, which violates regulations.
- •Under Section 24 of the Food Safety and Standards Act and 2018 regulations, celebrity endorsers must ensure the products they promote comply strictly with the law.
- •Mundhe emphasized that the FDA enforces rules uniformly regardless of an individual's public profile and warned against misleading advertisements.
Key Questions Answered
The Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration issued show-cause notices to Bollywood actors Shah Rukh Khan, Ajay Devgn, and Tiger Shroff over their participation in the Vimal Elaichi campaign, which the regulator alleged amounts to surrogate promotion of prohibited Vimal Pan Masala.
FDA Commissioner Tukaram Mundhe stated that the action is grounded in Section 24 of the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, and the 2018 Food Safety and Standards (Advertising and Claims) Regulations, which place legal responsibility on celebrity endorsers to ensure truthful promotions.
Although the actors responded to the initial notices and some previous hearings have concluded, Commissioner Tukaram Mundhe announced that the department will grant the actors another hearing before determining its next course of action.
