The controversy revolving around Cadbury's Bournvita is turning out to be one ugly affair ever since the influencer deleted the video after getting legal notice from the company. For the unversed, nutritionist Revant Himatsingka recently shared a video on Instagram where he reviewed Cadbury’s Bournvita. His Instagram reel soon grabbed the attention of many, including actor Paresh Rawal and former cricketer Kirti Azad. Himatsingka in his detailed video accused Bournvita of spreading diabetes through its content and also took a dig that Cadbury Bournvita’s tagline “tayyari jeet ki” should instead be changed to “tayyari diabetes ki.” After the Bournvita video went viral on social media, Cadbury issued an official statement and denied the influencer’s claims saying that the video posted by him was "unscientific" and it "distorted facts and made false and negative inferences". Furthermore, Cadbury slapped the influencer with a legal notice as a result, Revant Himatsingka issued an apology on his Instagram and also pulled down the video. However, this irked netizens on social media and a Men's rights group called NCMIndia Council For Men Affairs reuploaded the video and challenged Cadbury to send them the legal notice it sent to the influencer.
"Stop feeding Sugar to your Kids...#BoycottCadbury #BoycottBournvita ..And Dear @CadburyWorld and @MDLZ in case you want to send us legal notice here is the address. NCMIndia Council for Men Affairs
B-40, Ground Floor, Moti Nagar, NewDelhi-110015. #Bournvita," wrote NCMIndia Council For Men Affairs.
Stop feeding Sugar to your Kids.#BoycottCadbury #BoycottBournvita
— NCMIndia Council For Men Affairs (@NCMIndiaa) April 17, 2023
And Dear @CadburyWorld and @MDLZ in case you want to send us legal notice here is the address.
NCMIndia Council for Men Affairs
B-40, Ground Floor, Moti Nagar, NewDelhi-110015.#Bournvita pic.twitter.com/cHR7ag0W6E
What Cadbury said about Bournvita's controversy?
Dismissing the allegations made by Himatsingka, Bournvita said that over the last seven decades, it has earned the trust of consumers in India by being a scientifically formulated product that adheres to quality standards and complies with the laws of the land. "We would again like to reinforce that the formulation has been scientifically crafted by a team of nutritionists and food scientists to offer the best of taste and health. All our claims are verified and transparent and all ingredients have regulatory approvals. All the necessary nutritional information is mentioned on the pack for consumers to make informed choices," a newswire quoted a Bournvita spokesperson as saying.
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Revant Himatsingka, in his latest Instagram post, shared that he has now deleted the viral video after the company sent him a legal notice. “An important update from the Food Pharmer,” reads the caption of the update shared by nutritionist Revant Himatsingka on Instagram. In his Instagram post, he wrote, “I have decided to take down the video across all platforms after receiving a legal notice from one of India’s biggest law firms on 13 April, 2023. I apologise to Cadbury for making the video. I did not plan or intend to infringe any trademark or defame any company nor do I have the interest or resources to participate in any court cases and I request MNCs to not take this forward legally.”
What Cadbury’s Bournvita was accused of?
In the video, Himatsingka starts with the details on the front package of Cadbury’s Bournvita. He claims that the company added ‘immune system’ on their packaging after the COVID-19 pandemic since it ‘sells’ but made no changes in their product. He went on to say that on various e-commerce sites, it is listed as a health drink.
He then turns the package around and explains the ingredients used in the product. He says, “Coco solids, which is basically chocolate. Colour (150C), which is a caramel colour which is known for causing cancer and reducing immunity. Liquid glucose, which is again sugar, maltodextrin, which is again a fancy word for suga. They also have emulsifier 471, which is made from glycerine to extend their shelf life.” He even mocks the brand that they should use the picture of a sick kid on their product and change the tagline to ‘taiyari diabetes ki’ from ‘taiyari jeet ki’. Towards the end of the video, he not only urges parents to prevent their children from developing an addiction to such products but also appeals to the government to take stringent action against the false claims made by the company.