A recent article published in The Print about Mislabeling of Protein Supplement sighting a study conducted by Dr Cyriac Abby Philips announced that over 70% of the protein supplement products that they sampled were mislabeled. The study sampled protein powders, including those containing herbal and dietary supplements such as vitamins, minerals, and other natural or synthetic ingredients, can be associated with hepatotoxicity. However, to say that 70% of the products are mislabeled may not be entirely accurate. The variation from the declared value is tabulated by the study as below

While there is a difference in the values, what can be seen is that 83% of the products fall within 10% of the declared value. From the perspective of compliance, Food Safety and Standards Labeling Regulation 2020 permits a variation in the values up to 20%. If we take that as a measure, only 3 products in the list will qualify as being mislabeled. Which means over 90% of the products are compliant with the regulation.

Whether such high margins are justified is a question for the regulator. Scientifically speaking, there may be variations between testing methods, accuracy of the equipment used for testing as well as changes in the nutritional profile over the shelf life of the product. Products are expected to stay within the limits of 20% up to the end of shelf life. Margins are provided in order to be able to accommodate this.

The study also highlights concerns in the results about presence of aflatoxins, pesticide residue and heavy metal contamination and those need to be addressed separately and adequately through regular testing of the products.

The complete study can be found in the journal Medicine. Details on the products that were sampled can be found here (also referenced in the study). An article on the same topic was also published in The Print. Updated FAQ on the FSSAI Labeling and Display Regulation 2020 can be found here.