Emami moves Delhi HC challenging Ministry of AYUSH's stay on its ad on sugar content in Chyawanprash

The Delhi High Court issued notice to the Central government on a petition filed by FMCG company, Emami, challenging the stay imposed by the Ministry of Ayush on the company's Chyawanprash advertisement campaign that claimed ordinary Chyawanprash contains 50% sugar. 

 Emami sells its Chyawanprash, a dietary supplement made from a mixture of herbs, honey, ghee, etc under the name Zandu. The company started a campaign to promote the product, claiming that ordinary Chyawanprash contains 50% sugar while its product is made from jaggery (gur).

However, the Ministry of Ayush, through an order dated June 10, 2021, stopped the campaigning by stating that the campaign was humiliating 'Chyawanprash, which is a classic formulation prepared by the authoritative Ayurvedic books.

Emami's counsel argued that the order is violative of commercial freedom of speech. The government, in its order, said that the company can run the campaign conveying its product contains jaggery, but it cannot say that Chawanprash contains 50% sugar. 

Justice Yashwant Varma denied passing any interim relief. However, directed the government to file its response by July 27.

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