New Delhi, June 1: India's food safety regulator has ordered a showcause notice to be sent to Patanjali Ayurved after an industry body complained the company has made misleading claims in advertisements for its mustard oil brand.

The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India move follows a complaint by the Solvent Extractors Association (SEA) against Patanjali, an Ayurvedic company promoted by yoga evangelist Ramdev that has diversified into the cosmetics and foods sectors.

The SEA, a vegetable oil manufacturers' body, had backed its complaint citing another industry body, the Advertising Standards Council of India, which had last week rapped Patanjali for misleading claims in its advertisements for its Kachi Ghani mustard oil.

The advertisement had claimed that other than Kacchi Ghani process "most of the other edible refined oils and mustard oil are made using a neurotoxin ..." and that "many companies mix cheap palm oil in mustard oil to make profits at the cost of consumer' health." The ASCI had said these claims were misleading.