Is Lotte Choco Pie banned in India?

Lotte Choco Pie is not banned in India. Two things happened in 2026, and neither is a ban. On 8 Jul 2026 FSSAI sent Lotte India a show-cause notice over the '100% vegetarian' claim. In Aug 2026 one batch was recalled after a district order in Chhattisgarh. No order restricts the sale of Choco Pie anywhere in India.

The batch recall concerns batch NM10DC2 only: a 672 g pack made on 10 Apr 2026, best before 9 Apr 2027. The Durg Food and Drug Administration took a sample, and a lab report of 21 Jul 2026 from Cali Lab, Bhopal found preservatives above the permitted level, so the batch was classed 'unsafe' under the FSS Act. An order of 13 Aug 2026 halted the sale, storage and distribution of that batch in Durg district and told traders to isolate the stock. 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'. The preservative and the levels found were not reported. In short: sale of that batch halted in Durg district; the company disputes the test; not a ban.

Is it veg or non-veg? The Indian pack carries the green vegetarian mark, and its ingredient list sets the marshmallow with carrageenan (INS 407), agar (406), pectin (440) and sodium alginate (401), all plant or seaweed gelling agents; gelatine does not appear. The milk solids make it vegetarian rather than vegan. Choco Pie sold in some other countries uses gelatine, which is where the long-running 'veg or non-veg' question comes from.

The July notice concerns the wording of the claim rather than an ingredient. FSSAI said the '100% vegetarian' claim on the Rich Marshmallow, Real Orange and Choco Burst variants was misleading, in the same campaign that has targeted '100%' on other labels, and that Pepero biscuit sticks did not carry nutrition information in the prescribed form. Lotte was given seven days to reply. No reply, order or penalty has been reported as of 3 Nov 2026.

We found no country that bans Choco Pie. It has been recalled for undeclared allergens in Canada (2012, tree nuts), the UK (2018, almonds) and New Zealand (2020, soy and almonds), each time for imported packs recalled by the importer, and one batch was recalled in India (2026).