Maharashtra FDA has finally put the ignition key.

The first case of misleading advertisement has been lodged by the

Association in its 40-year career, on a lead given by a government appointed body Acash ( Association for
Consumers Action on Safety & Health).

"FDA has booked Complan for a misleading advertisement claim contravening the advertisement law under section
37 & 39 of the Prevention of Food Adulteration Act ( 1956), "says FDA Maharashtra joint commissioner C B Pawar.
The case is pending in the Mazgaon court in Mumbai.

Acash is an independent non-profit organisation formed to deal with health - related consumer issues. It was founded
by a group of doctors, lawyers and other concerned individuals in 1986. Acash is also known for the cases lodged by
it against names like Nestle, Johnson& Johnson and Wockhardt for similar violations.

With this a signal is sent down to other F & B companies to take make the precautionary corrections before FDA
tightens its noose on them.

Heinz, the maker of Complan, has been advertising its product claiming that regular consumption of Complan in milk
increases the height of a kid by 3 inches.

The company claims that the claim was based on a study conducted on 900 children from different backgrounds in
the age group of 7-12, that proved that children who drank Complan along with a regular diet grew faster compared to
those who had only a regular diet.

Says R K Anand, founder president, Acash, and the man behind the movement, "Some parents drew my attention to
an ad in which a mother is upset that her son is often teased about being short. The child is called a "half ticket" by
his friends in the ad. Then the child starts having Complan and he starts to become taller."

The advertisement does not only imply discrimination against students who are short in height but also brings the
nutritional claim under scrutiny.