Cadbury's Bournvita has slashed its added sugar content by 14.4%, eight months after a government notice following social media criticism led by influencer Revant Himatsingka that caused massive outrage against the ‘health drink’ brand.
The content creator, who goes by “Food Pharmer”, posted a viral video in April accusing the brand of deceptive marketing, sparking a heated online debate and legal actions eventually leading to reassessment of the product's formulation.
Himatsingka thrust Bournvita into the spotlight with a scathing Instagram Reels video, calling out the brand for promoting itself as a health drink while harbouring high sugar levels. He taunted the company saying their tagline “taiyyari jeet ki” should be changed to “taiyyari diabetes ki”.
Bournvita, in response to the social media storm, rejected Himatsingka's claims, labeling his video as "unscientific" and asserting that it distorted facts. The brand, emphasizing its commitment to immunity-building nutrients, stated that Bournvita had 7.5 grams of added sugar per serving—below the daily recommended intake for children.
13 days later, Bournvita sent a legal notice to the influencer from one of the biggest law firms of the country prompting him to take down the video.
Apologizing and retracting his video, Himatsingka highlighted that he never intended to infringe on trademarks or defame the company. He added that he has “no interest or resources” to take the legal proceedings further.
The original video was shared on social media by prominent personalities such as actor-politician Paresh Rawal and former cricketer and politician Kirti Azad.
Himatsingka quit his high-paying job in the US and came back to India to start his channel spreading awareness on healthy food habits. He has 1.3 million Instagram followers.
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