A message is doing the rounds on social media platforms claiming that Amul has recently won a lawsuit against Kwality Wall's, which has forced the latter to sell their products as 'frozen desserts'.
What else did the claim say?: It further added that the frozen desserts product "contain hydrogenated vegetable oil which is dalda”.
The claim has been circulating since 2016. An older version of the claim could be found below.
The Quint recently received a query about the viral claim on our WhatsApp tipline as well.
What are the facts?: The claim is misleading as this is not a recent development. Moreover, the post carried multiple factual inaccuracies like products of Kwality Wall's carrying dalda (or vanaspati oil).
How did we find that out?: On performing a keyword search on Google, we found a news report published by The Economic Times on 2 August 2012.
It said that India's advertising regulator had told the parent company of Kwality Walls, Hindustan Unilever (HUL), to not mention it as 'ice cream' in advertisements.
The move came after Amul had reportedly filed a complaint.
The report further mentioned that Kwality Walls is a frozen dessert, which contains vegetable fat.
What did HUL say?: The Quint had previously contacted HUL, who said that Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI) had indeed directed HUL to remove any language in its advertising that may position its frozen desserts as ice cream.
The company added that singer Shaan had referred to a KW variant as "strawberry cheesecake ice cream" during an interview, which was carried in an advertorial.
HUL, in its response to ASCI, had said, "they clarified that it was the singer’s comment and their packs clearly state the product to be a Frozen Dessert and therefore there was no intention on the part of HUL to mislead any consumer. Subsequently in order to remove any confusion and address the concern, the advertorial was modified suitably."
Products of Kwality Wall's Are Frozen Desserts?
As per the Food Safety Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), ice cream or its variants are made by freezing a pasteurised mix prepared from milk or other products derived from milk.
However, frozen desserts have been classified as products that are made by freezing a pasteurised mix prepared with milk fat and/or edible vegetable oils and fat.
HUL, in its reply to The Quint earlier, had said that they have always used vegetable fat in its frozen desserts and their products are labelled as frozen desserts as per FSSAI directive.
They said, "The WhatsApp message not only misrepresents facts but also creates an impression that it is a current development – that KW frozen desserts are being sold as ice-creams for which it has come under ASCI’s radar. The fact is that KW strictly follows labelling and packaging regulations – displaying ‘frozen dessert’ on the packages of products in this category."
Products of Kwality Wall's Contain Dalda?
We went through the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) section available on the official website of Kwality Wall's, who clarified that its products do not carry vanaspati (or Dalda).
The Quint had reached out to HUL, who clarified saying, "Vanaspati (Hydrogenated Vegetable Oils) and vegetable oil are not the same. Both are different in the process of manufacturing, composition and product properties. Kwality Wall’s Frozen Desserts use Vegetable Oils and NOT hydrogenated vegetable Oil/Vanaspati."
A recurring claim: Our fact-checking team had debunked the same claim in February 2020, when it was widely circulating on different social media platforms. You can read our previous fact-check here.
Conclusion: It is evident that the claim of Kwality Wall's containing dalda or vanaspati oil is false.
(Not convinced of a post or information you came across online and want it verified? Send us the details on WhatsApp at 9540511818 , or e-mail it to us at webqoof@thequint.com and we'll fact-check it for you. You can also read all our fact-checked stories here.)