A creator says a food product “boosts immunity”. Another tells followers that a supplement can help them lose weight quickly. A celebrity talks about the therapeutic benefits of a packaged product. Such statements may sound like familiar influencer marketing territory, but the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) wants creators to think twice before making them.
In its latest advisory, FSSAI has warned social media influencers, digital creators and celebrities against making misleading or scientifically unverified health and nutritional claims while promoting food, beverages and dietary supplements. Claims around rapid weight loss, immunity and therapeutic benefits need appropriate evidence and must comply with the Food Safety and Standards (Advertising and Claims) Regulations.
The warning matters because of how naturally product recommendations have become part of creator content. A product can move from a brand brief to an Instagram Reel, YouTube video or story within days, with the creator often acting as the bridge between the brand and the consumer. FSSAI’s message is that the person delivering the claim cannot simply assume that everything in the brief is safe to repeat.
The question behind the brief
For creators, the immediate concern is fairly simple: How much checking is enough? Actor and influencer Damini Chopra sees the advisory as a welcome move for a sector that needs stronger regulation. She believes creators will have to be more careful about cross-checking brand claims, particularly when the content involves health or wellness. Chopra says she prefers endorsing products she has personally used and trusts, further pointing to weight-loss products as an area where audiences can be particularly vulnerable to promises of quick results.
At the same time, she raises a practical concern. “I do feel that creators and individuals lack the ability to independently deeply verify brand claims,” she says. A creator may be expected to take responsibility for what they communicate, but they may not have access to the research, testing or scientific expertise required to assess a complex product claim. That makes the role of the brand important too. After all, the brand develops the product and makes the original claim.
Don’t just read the brief
Dr Ambika Dutt, digital content creator, certified nutritionist and fitness coach, says the advisory will make her more cautious when evaluating briefs, particularly around immunity, weight loss and supplements. “Just because a brand mentions a benefit in the brief doesn’t mean we should repeat it without questioning it,” she says. For Dutt, the starting point is understanding the evidence behind a claim and whether it is actually permitted to be communicated in that way. She also believes creators should recognise the limits of their own expertise and seek professional advice when necessary.
Her view is that responsibility has to be shared. Brands should have proper evidence to support the claims they give creators, while creators should ask questions and avoid exaggerated statements. That could mean more conversations before a campaign goes live. Instead of simply asking whether a creator likes the product or whether the script sounds natural, teams may need to ask: What exactly are we claiming? What supports it? And can we legally say it this way?
Brands may have to show their homework
The FSSAI warning could also put greater pressure on brands and agencies to build claim checks into influencer campaigns. Raj Mishra, MD & CEO, Chtrbox, says claim substantiation needs to become a formal part of campaign briefs and approvals. “Every health, nutrition or immunity claim a brand wants a creator to say now needs a documented source,” he says, pointing to evidence such as lab reports, compliant product labelling or clinical backing.
That could add another checkpoint to campaign planning, but it also gives everyone involved a clearer basis for what can and cannot be said. Agencies could find themselves playing a more active role in questioning claims before they reach creators. A brand may provide the claim, but the agency is often responsible for turning that claim into consumer-facing communication. That makes the agency an important link in the process.
Will brands play it safer?
The warning could also influence the kind of stories brands ask creators to tell. Mishra expects food and wellness brands to lean more towards product-led communication, including taste, usage, ingredients and everyday experiences, rather than broad health promises. There is a commercial argument for that too. A creator talking about how a protein bar tastes, how they use it during their day or what they like about its ingredients can feel more natural than delivering a clinical-sounding statement about immunity. The challenge for marketers will be finding interesting ways to sell the product without making claims that are difficult to substantiate.
Naresh Gupta, CSO, Bang in the Middle, believes the issue needs attention across the category. According to him, the food sector has seen brands make exaggerated claims without sufficient scientific backing, leaving consumers to make decisions based on information that may not be reliable. He also believes influencers need to understand that repeating a brand’s claim does not completely remove their responsibility.
Where does accountability sit?
That leaves brands, agencies and creators sharing a rather complicated space. The brand owns the product and should be able to substantiate what it says about it. The agency has a responsibility to question the brief and ensure the communication is defensible. The creator, meanwhile, has to consider whether they are comfortable making the claim to their audience.
Mishra believes the industry needs clearer processes around this, including claim sign-offs, stronger briefing formats, documented approvals and clearer contractual responsibilities. For creators, it could also make collaboration decisions more considered. A campaign may look attractive commercially, but if the creator cannot stand behind what they are being asked to say, the risk can extend beyond one post.
Chopra puts part of the responsibility back with consumers too. Creators can introduce audiences to products they genuinely like, she says, but consumers also need to understand that what works for one person may not necessarily work for another. That distinction is particularly important in health and wellness, where individual needs and responses can vary widely.
FSSAI’s warning therefore touches more than just compliance. It raises a basic question about trust in influencer advertising. When a creator recommends a product, audiences often take the message more personally than they would through a conventional advertisement. That makes accuracy especially important.
The takeaway for the industry is fairly straightforward—a brand claim should not become a creator claim until someone has checked whether it can be backed up. And perhaps the most important question before the camera starts rolling is also the simplest: Where is the proof?
