A legal notice has been issued to Patanjali over the alleged use of a non-vegetarian substance named as 'Samudra Fen' (cuttlefish bone) in one of its dental care products, Divya Dant Manjan, which is labelled green or vegetarian
Lawyer Shasha Jain, who issued the notice, took to Twitter to share her concerns over the alleged use of the non-vegetarian ingredient by Patanjali in its Dant Manjan, and sought clarifications on the same
"Issued legal notice to Patanjali, seeking clarifications on the deceptive use of Samudra phen (cuttlefish) in its product Divya Dant Manjan, while labeling it as green. This infringes upon consumer rights & is deeply offensive to our community and other vegetarian communities," Sasha Jain said in a tweet, sharing a copy of the legal notice
According to several Ayurveda medicine websites, Samudra phen or Samudra Fen (Cuttlefish bone) is an animal-based drug, and it has high medicinal value, and hence, it is used in the treatment of various ailments related to eyes and ears
In her legal notice, Sasha Jain stated that the use of Samundra Fen, a non-vegetarian ingredient, in Divya Dant Manjan while marketing and selling it as a vegetarian product is the violation of the consumer rights and the labelling regulations for the said category of products
The legal notice further stated that some of Jain's family members, relatives, colleagues and friends use Patanjali Divya Dant Manjan and their religious sentiments were hurt when they learned about the product's deceptive use of Samundra Fen
"I myself am a user of many products from your company but now, I am feeling reluctant to use Patanjali products, at least until I receive clarification from your side regarding this matter," the legal notice by Jain further read
The legal notice against Patanjali, issued on May 11, requested the Baba Ramdev-led company to provide clarifications "within 15 days of the receipt of the notice, failing which legal proceedings would be initiated against the company before the authorities"
As per the images uploaded on Twitter by the advocate, the list of ingredients in Patanjali's aforementioned product includes Samundra Fen (Sepia Officinalis), also known as cuttlefish
On Patanjali's official website, under the ingredients for Divya Dant Manjan, Samudra Fen (Sepia Officinalis) 4.40g is listed clearly along with Babool, Neem, Tumbaru, Pudina, Majufal, Saindha Namak, Pippali Chhoti, Kali Mirch, Haldi, Sphatica Bhasma, Kapoor and Pipermint