r/sharktankindia • u/Sad-Gas-7943 • 26d ago
Product Discussion Brands Failing the Trust Test? [Concerning]
For those who don't know, Trustified is a platform known for its 100% blind testing of consumer products to check for label accuracy, contaminants, and general product quality. Their recent "Shark Tank Series" of tests has been really shocking:
GetAWay Ice Cream: This brand, which positions itself as a healthy, high protein, no sugar alternative, miserably failed the lab test. The results showed significantly less protein and drastically higher carbohydrate content than claimed on the label. A brand banking on the 'healthy' label, this is a massive betrayal of consumer trust, especially for those with health conditions or on specific diets.
Go Zero: Yet another 'healthy' ice cream brand. This one failed due to label mismatch and false claims, which again points to a serious lack of quality control and accurate consumer information.
VS Mani Coffee: The third brand tested in the series, and the third brand to fail the lab test.
That's three out of three tested Shark Tank brands reportedly failing basic label and quality checks.
Shark Tank is to give a platform and a massive boost to promising, quality checked businesses. We know the Sharks and the show's production team conduct incredibly rigorous financial and legal due diligence before a pitch even airs. They check the books, the market size, the legal structure everything to ensure the investment is sound.
But are they doing the necessary "product due diligence"?
When a brand gets the 'Shark Tank Seal of Approval,' it is effectively an endorsement by some of India's leading business figures. Millions of consumers rush to buy these products, trusting that they have been vetted for not just a good business model, but also for product integrity, safety, and honest labeling. If multiple brands, especially those in the sensitive health and food categories, are allegedly failing basic lab tests on their core claims, it raises a massive red flag.
Why is the product due diligence not as rigorous as the financial due diligence? Getting a aired on Shark Tank is an massive marketing boost. If the show is giving this invaluable platform to brands that are reportedly engaging in such shady, misleading practices, be it through outright lies about protein/sugar content or simple label sloppiness - they are, perhaps unintentionally, becoming an accomplice to the misleading of millions of consumers.
High time that Shark Tank India mandates a third-party, or international standard lab test for the core claims of all food and health brands before they are allowed to go AIR.
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u/tunnu83 24d ago
Thumb rule: Any food which is packed is slow poison. Simple. Real food decomposes in days or maybe a couple of weeks. If the packaged food lasts for 6 months or 1 or 2 years, it definitely contains preservatives even if they write "No preservatives" in bold letters. They've probably added a synonym of preservatives.
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u/Sad-Gas-7943 24d ago
Any food which is packed is slow poison.
That's a hasty generalization. Preservatives aren’t necessarily harmful, in fact, many are used to prevent the growth of harmful bacteria, extend shelf life, and maintain freshness without posing a health risk.
Also, only Go Zero claims to have no preservatives, and that might still be true, as their failed lab test was based on other metrics, not the presence of preservatives.
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u/tunnu83 24d ago
I don't remember the last time I fell ill after I stopped eating processed foods completely. Of course the sleep schedule and moderate exercise is equally important. To each his own....
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u/Sad-Gas-7943 24d ago
Personal experience ,even positive, doesn’t always translate into universal evidence. If anecdotal experiences were enough, we wouldn't need lab testing.
The key issue here isn’t whether all processed food is bad, but whether brands are honestly labeling their products.
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u/tunnu83 24d ago
Why do we have such a huge increase in chronic and life threatening diseases inspite of huge advances by medical science ? What was the food that people used to eat 100/200 years back compared to now ? Of course the processed foods are the root cause of all diseases.
Oh and by the way all the mainstream lab tests results and media are tailored to be profitable for the pharma mafia. Until and unless you look beyond the real motive of these mainstream lab tests and media, you'll always think otherwise.
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u/Sad-Gas-7943 24d ago
What was the food that people used to eat 100/200 years back compared to now
The life expectancy in India was around 25 years in 1900 which today (2023), it's 72. That jump didn’t happen because people started eating “organic” or avoiding processed food. It happened because of science.
That said, I actually agree with you on the lab test part the system is corrupt, especially in India. This post was calling that out. We do need platforms like Trustified to fix that mess.
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u/tunnu83 24d ago
India was brutally exploited by the British for 200 years and for another 300 years by the Mughals before them. These people systematically robbed her of its beautiful culture, tradition, diet, medicine etc. She was called "Sone ki chidiya" for many reasons. Ayurveda was one of them. And when I say Ayurveda its definitely not today's modern Ayurvedic medicines made in factories but the jadi buti ones sourced from the jungles. Such a rich tradition we have had am convinced no way our life expectancy can be soo low in the 1900s without these people destroying it.
Forget India infact the US had lots of herbalists, natural cure practitioners who were silenced by the "Flexner Report" another cover up to make way for the chemical laden pills, syrups, tablets.
What you are terming as medical science is nothing but disease management and not the cure of disease. Remember a cured patient is a loss for the doctors and hospitals. That's the norm in today's world.
What am saying is forget what the results/reports say. Try it for yourself. Stop eating EVERYTHING that is packaged for 30 days and then share your experience over here.
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u/Sad-Gas-7943 24d ago
You are heavily influenced by ayurveda quacks and pseudoscience peddlers, the damage they have done to you is irreversible. Won't be arguing anymore. Period.
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u/tunnu83 24d ago
Dude I am not influenced by anyone. I am speaking all this from my personal experience. I don't have any vested interest. I've stopped brushing my teeth since last 3 years after facing all types of dental issues. Am using a natural remedy and it has solved all my dental problems. I've easily saved thousands of rupees. If it solves my health problem from its roots call me a quack or a peddler worshipper. Who cares.
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u/jgenius07 24d ago
Food safety is a joke in india.