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Cadbury's chocolate drink, Bournvita, has been a beloved product for many years. However, a recent Instagram influencer, known as a Food Pharmer under the name Revant Himatsingka, has gained a lot of attention for revealing undisclosed information about ingredients listed on Cadbury's packaging.
On April 1, Revant Himatsingka, using the Instagram handle "Food Pharmer," uploaded a minute-long video criticizing the Bournvita brand for misrepresenting the nutritional value of its product on its packaging.
Revant questioned whether the government should allow companies to mislead consumers with false claims. He argued that parents are encouraging their children to develop a lifelong sugar addiction by giving them such products at a young age. Revant also mocked the brand's catchphrase, "Taiyari jeet ki", suggesting that it should be "Taiyari diabetes ki" instead.
Reports indicate that the now-deleted reel had 12 million views on Revant's Instagram page alone. The video was then widely shared on Twitter and LinkedIn, gaining support from users on all of these platforms.
Even former cricketer and MP Kirti Azad posted the video on Twitter expressing his intention to take legal action against Cadbury.
Who is Revant Himatsingka?
Revant Himatsingka, a prominent social media influencer who focuses on food and wellness, has been in the news as he recently deleted a video about Cadbury Bournvita after receiving a legal notice. Although he currently resides in the US, he is of Indian origin and attended Don Bosco for his education.
He has a Bachelor of Science in Management from Carnegie Mellon University and NYU Stern School of Business, and an MBA from the Wharton School. He is also a certified health coach by the United Latino Student Association.
Revant Himatsingka is a best-selling author, with his book "Selfienomics", a humorous philosophy on Indian youth and good living, published by internationally renowned publisher Bloomsbury, reaching Amazon's top 100 bestseller list in the first week of pre-orders.
Bournvita released statement
In response to the backlash, Bournvita released a statement on April 9, stating that their product is a scientifically formulated formula, made with approved ingredients, and all of these ingredients are accurately declared on the packaging.
The statement also mentioned that Bournvita has been a trusted brand among Indian consumers for more than seven decades. The brand message emphasized that Bournvita includes essential nutrients such as vitamin A, C, D, iron, zinc, copper and selenium, which help build immunity.
Influencer Deletes Video
Amid social media backlash, the influencer on Friday removed Bournvita's video from his timeline and issued a statement. The influencer apologized to Cadbury and clarified that he did not intend to infringe any trademark or defame any company.
Furthermore, he claimed that he had received a legal notice from a prominent Indian law firm on April 13 and, as a result, did not have the resources or interest to participate in any court case. He also urged multinationals not to take any legal action.
Following this, reports surfaced that Cadbury had sued the influencer for exposing the alleged health dangers of his product, forcing him to remove the video. The incident sparked a flurry of criticism on social media, with many users criticizing Cadbury for taking legal action against the influencer.
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