Meet the man who is selling a ChyawanPrash for nearly Rs 1,50,000. Yes, you heard it right.
As if the Indian market didn’t already have enough overpriced and questionable products, here comes yet another edible item making headlines; A Chyawanprash that is priced at nearly Rs 1,50,000.
Should there be a law that mandates responsible marketing rather than just blunt claims?
A few of you may have seen an ad on social media where a person, allegedly an Ayurvedic doctor, Dr. Subhash Goyal, claims that his Chyawanprash has 100gms of Swarn Bhasam, and also noticeable gms of Silver and Heera, which is why the cost is so high, as per the Ayurvedic doctor.
Now for those of you who don’t know, Swarn Bhasam is actually purified gold heated, treated and finally converted into an ash or powder until it becomes a bio-assimilable.
The maker, claims that he gets repeat orders for his ChyawanPrash. And the claims are too tall. From preventing Low BP, Low HB, to improving Sharp brain, sharp eyesight and acting as fat burner, the claims are too big and to be honest and unrealistic.
He opines that the cost of the ChyawanPrash comes down Rs 750 for one spoon and will rise even further in the coming months.
Scientific Evidences Behind?
What is even more surprising is that well-known personalities like Tanya Mittal (BB Fame), Vivek Bindra, and Sonu Sharma could be seen promoting it in subtle ways by interviewing him and promoting it. Whether they have actually tested the Chyawanprash themselves and felt its benefits is questionable.
The likes of Vivek Bindra and Sonu Sharma did not ask Dr. Subhash Goyal about the scientific paper that backs the tall claims made by the Ayurvedic doctor.
A claim as bold as that a Chyawanprash can prevent high BP, can help Autistic Children, works as a fat burner, improves eye sight deserves attention only if the manufacturer can produce scientific backings to it.
In Japan, food items need to provide specific rules apply to beverages, where fruit images cannot be used without declaring the exact juice percentage if it is low (e.g., <5%).
In the UAE, influencers need to acquire a permit before they can do any sponsored content. This is done to curb any fake and unrealistic claims that are often made in the sponsored content.
And in India, we see every day where people make unrealistic claims on podcasts.
Dr Goyal opines in one of the interviews that he almost lost his house for trying to make such an expensive chyawanprash; however, in none of his interviews has he produced a scientific, peer-reviewed study about the effects of his Chyawanprash and whether it really provides the benefits that he is claiming.
In a country where so many people are gullible, it should be a matter of responsibility to promote a product that is backed by scientific evidence and not just blind claims. In many countries, there are strict laws on claims that can be made while promoting a product.
