NEW DELHI/CHENNAI: Food regulator FSSAI on Monday said it has issued a notice to Heritage Foods Ltd, a dairy company founded by Andhra Pradesh chief minister Chandrababu Naidu, for misleading claims regarding its product ‘Fresh Paneer’ as part of its efforts to safeguard consumer interest.
FSSAI has asked Heritage Foods to submit an explanation within 7 days as to why action should not be initiated under the provisions of the FSS Act, 2006.
In a social media post, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) said it has issued a notice to the company over misleading claims on its product Heritage Fresh Paneer.
“The claim ‘Fresh Paneer’ does not satisfy the conditions stipulated under Schedule V for the use of the term ‘Fresh’,” the regulator said.
Accordingly, the use of the word ‘Fresh’ is liable to mislead consumers and is considered misleading, FSSAI said.
The use of the term ‘Healthy’ in the trademark/name ‘Healthy Happiness’ is not in conformity with Regulation 8(3) of the Food Safety and Standards (Advertising and Claims) Regulations, 2018, in the social media post mentioned.
“The use of the term ‘Healthy’ is likely to create the impression that the product inherently promotes or enhances health, thereby rendering the claim misleading,” FSSAI said.
The notice has been issued based on suo moto cognizance as well as consumer complaints.
Heritage Foods, founded in 1992 by Chandrababu Naidu, has operations spanning 16 states. Its product offerings include a wide range of milk, curd, butter, paneer, and other value-added dairy products.
Notable board members include his wife Bhuvaneswari Nara (vice chairperson and managing director), daughter-in-law Brahmani Nara (executive director).
Bhuvaneswari Nara joined the company as whole-time director in 1994 and is now VC-MD, overseeing the company’s overall operations and strategic direction.
Brahmani Nara, who joined Heritage Foods in 2013, focuses on strategic resource allocation, digital transformation, business development and marketing initiatives.
With a market cap of Rs 3,096 crore, Heritage Foods ranks fourth behind Hatsun Agro (Rs 20,125 cr), Dodla Dairy (Rs 6,996 cr) and Vadilal Industries (Rs 4,613 crore).
Its share price from Rs 531.75 in September last year has plummeted to Rs 333.65. In March this year, it fell to Rs 293.95.
Heritage Foods reported a net profit of Rs 23.9 crore in Q4FY26 against Rs 38.2 crore in the same period last year, down 37 per cent.
Heritage Foods appointed Rahul Pandey as VP and head of sales and senior management personnel with effect from May 18, 2026. Pandey brings over 24 years of sales leadership experience across foods, beverages, and home care sectors, with prior roles at Mondelez India Foods, Hindustan Coca-Cola Beverages, ITC, and Dabur.