MUMBAI: The Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has introduced stricter compliance requirements for infant formula, baby foods and feeding bottles, placing sweeping restrictions on how these products can be marketed, packaged and promoted across the state.

The order, issued on September 29, 2026, has immediate effect and applies throughout the supply chain, including manufacturers, brand owners, importers, repackers, distributors, retailers, pharmacies, hospital suppliers and e-commerce platforms.

Under the new requirements, companies cannot advertise or promote infant milk substitutes and specified infant food products through conventional or digital channels. Free samples, gifts, coupons, cashback offers, discount campaigns, influencer marketing and cross-promotional activities are also prohibited.

Mother’s Milk Warning Made Mandatory

One of the most visible changes concerns product packaging. Infant food products must prominently display the notice:

“IMPORTANT NOTICE – MOTHER’S MILK IS BEST FOR YOUR BABY.”

Labels must also provide appropriate feeding and preparation instructions. Packaging for complementary foods must clearly state that such products should be introduced only after the child reaches six months of age.

The FDA has additionally prohibited the use of pictures of infants or women on these products. Certain descriptions, including “humanised,” “maternalised,” “complete food” and “health food,” are also barred under the compliance order.

The order further requires relevant products to carry information about preparation, including instructions concerning the use of boiled water, feeding guidance and other safety information.

Advertising and Online Promotions Banned

The restrictions extend well beyond traditional advertising. The FDA has prohibited promotional activities involving infant milk substitutes, infant foods and feeding bottles across various platforms.

The banned activities include:

• Television, print and other advertisements
• Free samples and promotional gifts
• Coupons and cashback offers
• Discount campaigns
• Influencer and social media promotions
• Cross-promotional marketing
• Promotions through e-commerce marketplaces
• Promotional messaging through digital platforms

The FDA has specifically warned against attempts to use online platforms or indirect marketing methods to promote products covered by the rules.

Restrictions on Doctors, Hospitals and Medical Events

The order also targets promotional relationships between infant-food companies and healthcare institutions or professionals.

Companies are prohibited from providing sponsorships, hospitality, travel or registration benefits, speaker fees, grants or other financial benefits to healthcare workers, hospitals, nursing homes, pharmacies and medical associations in connection with conferences, seminars, workshops, continuing medical education, professional-development programmes or research activities.

The objective is to prevent commercial incentives from influencing how infant nutrition products are recommended or promoted.

New Requirements for Product Safety

The Maharashtra FDA has also strengthened requirements for traceability and safety monitoring.

Manufacturers, importers and brand owners are required to maintain batch-level traceability, complaint-handling mechanisms and adverse-event reporting systems. They must also have systems capable of recalling products when a safety problem is identified.

Hospitals, neonatal units, paediatricians and other medical practitioners have been asked to report suspected adverse events involving infant foods. Manufacturers are required to report serious adverse events within 48 hours, allowing authorities to investigate affected batches and take action when necessary.

New Rules on Ingredients and Health Claims

The FDA order also addresses the composition and marketing claims of infant food products.

The use of preservatives, added colours and flavouring substances in infant food products is prohibited under the stated requirements. Added sucrose may be used only when necessary and within the specified limit of 20% of total carbohydrates.

Companies also cannot make misleading claims such as “no added sugar” where those claims do not comply with applicable requirements.

The products must also be manufactured under the appropriate FSSAI licence, while applicable products must carry the required BIS standard mark and comply with the Food Safety and Standards (Foods for Infant Nutrition) Regulations, 2020.

Penalties for Violations

The FDA has warned that businesses failing to comply with the requirements could face action under food-safety laws and the legislation governing infant milk substitutes.

Reported penalties include fines of up to ₹10 lakh for misleading advertisements or operating without the required licence, up to ₹5 lakh for substandard food, and up to ₹3 lakh for misbranded food.

Depending on the nature of the violation, authorities may also take measures such as seizure, confiscation, prosecution or suspension or cancellation of licences.

Why Maharashtra Has Tightened Enforcement

FDA Commissioner Tukaram Mundhe said infants and children below two years are particularly vulnerable consumers because they cannot independently decide what they consume and parents often depend on product labels and healthcare advice.

The FDA said inspections had identified products being marketed in ways that could bypass prescribed standards or required warnings. The new order is intended to strengthen enforcement across physical stores, healthcare settings and digital marketplaces.

The restrictions do not amount to a blanket ban on formula or infant-food products. Instead, companies selling products covered by the order must comply with the applicable manufacturing, labelling, safety and promotional requirements.

For parents, the new rules mean greater emphasis on checking product labels, preparation instructions and recommended age ranges rather than relying on promotional claims, discounts or influencer endorsements.

What Happens Next?

With the order taking immediate effect, manufacturers, retailers, healthcare institutions and online sellers dealing in infant nutrition products will need to review their packaging, marketing practices and compliance systems.

The Maharashtra FDA is expected to monitor compliance through inspections and enforcement actions, while adverse-event reporting and product traceability requirements could give regulators more information about potential safety problems.

The move represents a significant tightening of enforcement around infant nutrition marketing in Maharashtra and places greater responsibility on companies to ensure that their products and promotional practices comply with existing legal and food-safety requirements.

The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has issued a nationwide advisory directing food businesses to stop using rusted, damaged, painted, or otherwise unsafe cutting tools in food handling operations. The move comes amid growing concerns that poorly maintained equipment could compromise food safety and pose serious health risks to consumers.

The food regulator has instructed food business operators to immediately replace non-compliant knives, blades, and cutting instruments, emphasizing that all equipment used in direct contact with food must meet prescribed hygiene and safety standards.

Regulator Flags Contamination Risks

According to FSSAI, cutting tools used during food preparation, processing, and packaging must be manufactured from food-grade materials and maintained in a clean, corrosion-resistant condition.

The authority warned that rusted or damaged equipment can introduce contaminants into food products. Metal fragments, rust particles, paint residues, and other foreign substances may enter food during processing, increasing the risk of contamination.

In addition to physical contamination, deteriorated equipment surfaces can become breeding grounds for harmful bacteria and other microorganisms, potentially leading to foodborne illnesses and health complications among consumers.

Businesses Ordered to Replace Defective Equipment

As part of the directive, food establishments have been instructed to remove any cutting tools that show signs of rust, cracks, chipping, corrosion, or structural damage.

The regulator has also stressed the importance of routine cleaning, sanitization, and maintenance of all food-contact equipment. Food businesses are expected to implement internal inspection systems to identify worn-out or defective tools before they become a safety hazard.

The advisory applies to a broad range of establishments, including restaurants, hotels, catering services, food manufacturing units, processing facilities, and packaging operations.

Enhanced Monitoring and Compliance Checks

FSSAI has directed state and Union Territory food safety authorities to strengthen oversight during inspections and pay special attention to the condition of knives, blades, and other cutting instruments used in food operations.

Food Safety Commissioners, licensing authorities, and inspection teams have been asked to verify compliance with food safety regulations and ensure businesses follow the prescribed standards.

Officials indicated that establishments found violating the guidelines could face regulatory action under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, along with applicable rules and regulations.

Focus on Strengthening Food Safety Standards

The latest directive reinforces FSSAI’s broader effort to improve hygiene practices across the food industry and reduce contamination risks at every stage of food handling.

Experts note that food safety depends not only on ingredient quality but also on the tools and equipment used during preparation and processing. By targeting unsafe cutting instruments, regulators aim to strengthen consumer protection and improve overall food hygiene standards nationwide.

With inspections expected to become more stringent, food businesses are being urged to review their equipment maintenance practices and ensure full compliance with food safety requirements.

Microsoft has reportedly placed its Israel-based operations under the temporary supervision of its France unit following an internal investigation into alleged violations of company ethics rules involving its Azure cloud platform. The move comes after the departure of senior leadership in Microsoft Israel and growing scrutiny over the company’s cloud services contracts in the region.

Leadership Changes Follow Internal Investigation

According to reports, Microsoft Israel’s general manager, Alon Haimovich, has exited the company after an internal probe into the subsidiary’s use of Azure services. Several senior executives from the local governance division have also reportedly stepped down in the aftermath of the investigation.

In response to the leadership vacuum, Microsoft’s global management has temporarily assigned oversight of the Israeli unit to Microsoft France. The arrangement has been described as unusual, reflecting the sensitivity and complexity of the ongoing review.

The internal inquiry was reportedly initiated following concerns raised about Microsoft’s cloud services agreements with Israel’s Ministry of Defense and compliance with corporate governance standards.

Allegations of Policy Violations in Cloud Usage

The investigation found that certain usage patterns of Azure infrastructure may have violated Microsoft’s internal policies and ethical guidelines. Reports suggest that some operations lacked transparency and were not fully disclosed to global headquarters.

Investigators are also said to have reviewed sales and service arrangements involving defense-related clients, raising concerns about compliance with the company’s terms of service.

Microsoft has not publicly detailed the findings, but internal sources cited in reports indicate that corrective actions were taken following the probe.

Earlier Reports on Surveillance-Related Concerns

The developments are linked to earlier media reports in 2025 alleging that Israel’s Unit 8200 intelligence division had used Microsoft Azure to store large volumes of intercepted communications data. The reports claimed that the data was hosted on servers in Europe and accessed for intelligence analysis.

Following those disclosures, Microsoft publicly stated that it does not provide technology intended for mass surveillance of civilians. The company subsequently restricted or terminated certain access linked to the alleged activities.

Later reports suggested that additional defense-related usage of Azure may have also raised compliance concerns, particularly where data processing was routed through European infrastructure, potentially triggering regulatory scrutiny under European data protection laws.

Strategic and Regulatory Sensitivities in Israel Operations

Microsoft’s position in Israel has been described as strategically sensitive due to the structure of government cloud contracts in the country. Unlike competitors Amazon and Google, which secured major Israeli government cloud deals under the Nimbus program and built domestic data infrastructure, Microsoft operates under a different framework.

As a result, some data processed through Azure has reportedly been routed through European servers, increasing exposure to regulatory oversight under frameworks such as GDPR.

Industry observers note that this structural difference may have contributed to heightened compliance risks for Microsoft compared to its competitors.

Ongoing Contract Discussions and Industry Impact

Microsoft’s defense-related cloud contracts in Israel are expected to come up for renewal later this year. While discussions are ongoing, reports suggest that some workloads have already been shifting toward rival platforms operated by Amazon Web Services and Google Cloud.

Despite the controversy, both Microsoft and Israeli defense stakeholders are reportedly interested in maintaining a continued working relationship, though potentially at a reduced scale.

Broader Implications for Cloud Governance

The situation highlights growing global concerns over how cloud infrastructure is used in sensitive government and defense contexts. As cloud platforms expand their role in national security operations, technology companies face increasing pressure to enforce strict compliance standards and ensure transparency in data handling.

Analysts say the case underscores a wider industry challenge: balancing government partnerships, data sovereignty requirements, and corporate ethical standards in an increasingly regulated digital environment.