Is Patanjali Marketing Product With Fish Extract As 'Veg'? Ramdev, Centre Get Delhi HC Notice

Delhi HC has demanded responses from the central and Patanjali Ayurved over allegations of the company's Divya Dant Manjan's misbranding as vegetarian, despite containing a non-vegetarian ingredient.

In fresh legal trouble for Baba Ramdev, the Delhi high court has demanded responses from the Centre, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), and Patanjali Ayurved Limited over a petition alleging misbranding of the company's "Divya Dant Manjan" dental care product as a 'vegetarian' product. 

The petition, filed by lawyer Yatin Sharma, claimed that despite being marketed with a green dot — an indicator of vegetarian status — "Divya Dant Manjan" contains “samudra phen,” a fish-derived compound, which is a non-vegetarian ingredient.

Justice Sanjeev Narula sought a response from the Central Government, Divya Pharmacy (manufacturer), Patanjali Ayurveda (seller), Yoga Guru Ramdev, Acharya Balakrishna, Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) and other relevant parties, according to a report by Live Law.

The matter will now be heard in November. The plea reportedly said that Sharma, who belongs to a Brahmin community, used the product thinking it was vegetarian, but has now discovered that the toothpaste contains “Samudraphen” (Sepia officinalis)” which is derived from fish extract (Cuttlefish bone).

Sharma claimed that he filed various complaints against the alleged misbranding of the product but no action has been taken by the authorities yet. “This petition underscores the need for judicial intervention to address the lapse on the part of the respondents in taking appropriate action against those responsible for the production and promotion of "Divya Dant Manjan" containing non-vegetarian ingredients,” the plea stated.

As per the plea, Ramdev has admitted in one of his YouTube videos that the ingredient "samudra phen" is an animal-based product and it is used in 'Divya Dant Manjan'. “The Petitioner seeks redressal for the profound distress caused by the inadvertent consumption of a non-vegetarian product, emphasizing the importance of upholding religious beliefs and ensuring transparency in product representation,” the plea added.