NEW DELHI (TIP): Baba Ramdev’s Patanjali Ayurved has come under the scanner of Indian advertising watchdog Advertising Standard Council of India (ASCI) for several misleading ads. ASCI ruled that ads by the Haridwar-based FMCG company “unfairly denigrates” other products in the market. Patanjali took flak for ads of hair oil, mustard oil and washing powders.
Patanjali Kesh Kanti Natural Hair Cleanser & Oil’s advertisement’s claim, “mineral oil is carcinogenic in nature and may cause cancer” was false and misleading by ambiguity and by gross exaggeration,” said ASCI. The company’s Kachi Ghani Mustard Oil advertisement’s claim that most of the other edible refined oils and mustard oils are made using neurotoxin Hexagon solvent extraction process, as many companies mix cheap palm oil in mustard oil, to make profits at the cost of consumers’ health, was also not substantiated and was misleading, ASCI added.
Similarly, for its Herbal Washing Powder, Cake and Dishwash Bar, the claim of “herbal washing powder, cake and dishwash bar” was not substantiated with data regarding which herbal ingredients in the product provide the cleaning benefit and was deemed misleading by ASCI.