The Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued show-cause notices to Bollywood actors Shah Rukh Khan, Ajay Devgn and Tiger Shroff over their endorsement of Vimal Elaichi, alleging that the advertisement could amount to surrogate or indirect promotion of prohibited pan masala or tobacco-related products.
The notices, issued on August 11, give the actors 15 days from the date of receipt to submit written explanations. The FDA said further action could follow if no response is received or if the explanations are found unsatisfactory.
Issued under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, and related regulations, the notices state that the Vimal brand is “prominently associated with Pan Masala in the market”. The FDA also noted that pan masala products are prohibited in Maharashtra.
The action comes as part of a wider enforcement drive led by Maharashtra FDA commissioner Tukaram Mundhe, which has included inspections of hotels, canteens and chain restaurants across the state.
Recently, the FDA suspended the licence of a Pizza Hut outlet operated by Sapphire Foods in Karad, Satara district, over alleged food safety and hygiene violations. Inspectors found that separate ovens and pans were not being used to prepare vegetarian and non-vegetarian pizzas.
At another Sapphire Foods outlet in Akola, officials seized 55 kg of frozen paneer that was classified as misbranded and substandard.
The FDA said its special drive covered 104 chain restaurant establishments across Maharashtra. Two establishments were ordered to stop operations, 95 received improvement notices and the licences of five establishments were suspended.
