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Brand record

Lotte India (Choco Pie, Pepero): FSSAI record

Last checked 3 November 2026

Lotte India. Status: Show-cause notice (Jul 2026) · one batch recalled (Aug 2026).
Regulatory notice

Lotte Choco Pie is not banned in India as of 3 Nov 2026. FSSAI issued Lotte India a show-cause notice on 8 Jul 2026 over the vegetarian claim on Choco Pie and Pepero labelling, and in Aug 2026 Lotte recalled batch NM10DC2 after a Durg FDA order: sale of that batch halted in Durg district; the company disputes the test; not a ban.

Classification
Regulatory notice or advisory
Decided by
Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI); Food and Drug Administration, Durg, Chhattisgarh
Reference
FSSAI show-cause notice, 8 Jul 2026; Durg FDA order of 13 Aug 2026 on batch NM10DC2 (as reported; order not published)
Evidence
News report only, order not online
Latest action
19 August 2026
Last checked
3 November 2026
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Lotte Choco Pie pack and cake. Photo: LOTTE - CHOCO PIE.jpg by Quercus acuta (CC0). Brand names and logos belong to their owners and are used here to identify the product this entry is about. All photo credits.

Best source we have: a news reportTier 3: news report

Lotte India recalls Choco Pie batch after Durg FDA flags preservative levels, disputes findings

Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI); Food and Drug Administration, Durg, Chhattisgarh · FSSAI show-cause notice, 8 Jul 2026; Durg FDA order of 13 Aug 2026 on batch NM10DC2 (as reported; order not published) · 19 August 2026

Our team has checked this record against the published reports, last on 3 November 2026. The government order itself is not published online, or we have not found it yet, so we link the best public report. If you have the order, send it to us and we will link it instead.

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Scope. A record here does not by itself mean a product or company is unsafe or banned today. Regulatory actions can apply to one batch, one formulation, one period or one state. Always check the linked government document for the current position, and tell us if something is out of date. How we label records.

Below: Blacklisted's explanationWe explain what has been reported. The report above is the best source we hold.

Key facts

Products
Choco Pie (vegetarian claim; one batch recalled); Pepero (labelling)
Jul 2026
Show-cause notice, 8 Jul 2026, issued alongside notices to Ferns N Petals and Kubera Foods. No reply, order or penalty reported as of 3 Nov 2026
Aug 2026
Durg FDA order of 13 Aug 2026 halted sale, storage and distribution of Choco Pie batch NM10DC2 (672 g, mfd 10 Apr 2026, best before 9 Apr 2027) in Durg district; Lotte recalled the batch 'across markets' as a precaution
Test dispute
A lab report of 21 Jul 2026 found preservatives above the permitted level; Lotte says NABL-accredited third-party tests found them within limits
Recalls abroad
Choco Pie allergen recalls in Canada (2012), the UK (2018) and New Zealand (2020); no country ban found
Status
Not banned; one batch recalled

Lotte India received a show-cause notice from FSSAI on 8 Jul 2026, the same day as Ferns N Petals and Kubera Foods. The notice said the '100% vegetarian' claim on three Choco Pie variants was misleading and that Pepero biscuit sticks did not carry nutrition information in the prescribed form. A show-cause notice is an invitation to explain. It is not a prohibition or a finding of violation, and no reply, order or penalty has been reported as of 3 Nov 2026.

In Aug 2026 a separate, district-level action followed. The Food and Drug Administration in Durg, Chhattisgarh, sampled Choco Pie batch NM10DC2 (672 g pack, best before 9 Apr 2027), and a lab report of 21 Jul 2026 found preservatives above the permitted level. An order of 13 Aug 2026 halted the sale, storage and distribution of that batch in Durg district. Lotte India said NABL-accredited third-party tests found the preservatives within limits, but recalled the batch 'across markets' as a precaution and called reports of a ban 'incorrect'. Sale of that batch halted in Durg district; the company disputes the test; not a ban.

Outside India, Lotte Choco Pie has been recalled for undeclared allergens in Canada (2012), the UK (2018) and New Zealand (2020). No country ban on Choco Pie was found. Lotte's products remain on sale in India.

What this means for you

The question is the green dot

The July notice asks Lotte to justify the '100% vegetarian' wording on Choco Pie. It does not allege the product is unsafe.

One batch, not the product

The August recall covers batch NM10DC2 only. Other batches remain on sale.

This is a record of official orders, not medical advice. Do not stop a prescribed medicine without asking your doctor or pharmacist.

Common questions

Has Lotte India recalled Choco Pie?

One batch only. Lotte recalled batch NM10DC2 in Aug 2026 after a Durg FDA order; it disputes the test, and the product is not banned.

What did FSSAI's notice to Lotte India say?

That the '100% vegetarian' claim on three Choco Pie variants was misleading and that Pepero lacked nutrition labelling in the prescribed form. No order has followed.

Sources

Government documents

News reports

Researched and written by The Blacklisted team
We are not doctors or pharmacists. Everything on this page comes from the documents listed above, which you can open and check. Last checked 3 November 2026. How we check · Who we are · Spotted a mistake? Tell us.