Patanjali Foods moves Bombay HC over defamatory YouTube video onNutrelaSoya Chunks

Patanjali Foods Limited has filed a commercial suit in the Bombay High Court against a YouTube channel for allegedly publishing a “false and defamatory” video claiming its Nutrela Soya Chunks failed safety tests. The company has sought urgent relief, including removal of the video and damages amounting to ₹15.5 crore. 

The video, titled “Nutrela Soya Chunks Lab Test Report II First Time on YouTube – Pass or Fail??”, was uploaded on December 29, 2024 by the channel Trustified.

The video claims that the product exceeded the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India’s (FSSAI) Maximum Residue Limit for pesticides such as Carbendazim and Benomyl, the petition said. Patanjali has described these allegations as categorically false, asserting that its product complies with all FSSAI norms and citing independent laboratory reports to support its claim. 

The suit names Arpit Trustified Certification, Trustified Solutions Pvt. Ltd., Google LLC, which owns YouTube, and others as defendants.  

Patanjali argues that the video was uploaded with the sole intent to tarnish and capitalise upon the popularity of its brand and has caused reputational harm and business losses. The company has asked the court to grant a permanent injunction restraining the defendants from publishing or circulating any content that disparages its products, along with immediate takedown of the impugned video and directions to intermediaries to prevent further uploads of similar content. 

In addition to injunctive relief, Patanjali has claimed ₹10.5 crore for loss of reputation and business disruption and ₹5 crore as special damages for injury to the brand, valuing the suit at ₹15.5 crore.

The petition invokes provisions of the Trade Marks Act, 1999 and the Code of Civil Procedure, alleging trademark infringement and commercial disparagement. It states that the trademark “Nutrela”, first registered in 1977 under Class 30, is valid till November 2035 and has acquired the status of a well-known mark. The company cites nationwide reputation, advertising spends exceeding ₹73 crore in 2024–25, and sales turnover of ₹406 crore for Nutrela Soya Chunks alone. The plea also includes a storyboard of the video transcript and screenshots of viewer comments showing a negative impact on brand perception. 

Appearing for Patanjali, advocate Apoorv Srivastava argued that the allegations are baseless and misleading and urged for urgent interim relief. Justice Sharmila U. Deshmukh on Thursday said the matter will be heard at length on Monday, December 22.