Regulator directs states to pull non-compliant beverages and act against misleading ORS branding
The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has directed state authorities to carry out inspection and verification drives to clear the market of beverages falsely promoted as oral rehydration solutions (ORS).
The regulator reiterated that fruit-based beverages, non-carbonated drinks and ready-to-serve products cannot use ORS as a prefix or suffix in their branding. Only formulations that comply with WHO standards may be labelled and sold as ORS.
In an order dated 19 November, FSSAI said it had found that “fruit-based beverages, ready-to-serve drinks, electrolyte drinks and similar ORS-related products” were still being sold on e-commerce platforms and in retail stores with brand names or descriptions containing the term ORS, in violation of the rules.
To curb misleading labelling, the Authority has asked States and Union Territories to deploy designated and field officers for immediate checks across online marketplaces and physical outlets. The officers have been asked to identify “food products violating the use of the term ORS in brand & product names or labels,” ensure “such non-compliant products” are removed from sale, and initiate regulatory action against companies involved.
States must also file Action Taken Reports detailing inspections, violations detected, corrective steps and the status of removal of non-compliant goods.
The order cautioned that legitimate WHO-recommended ORS formulations should not be affected during these drives. These products are classified as drugs under the Drugs and Cosmetics Act and fall outside Fssai’s jurisdiction. Inspections, sampling and seizures, it said, should be limited to non-compliant products.
The issue has been raised previously by paediatrician Dr. Sivaranjani Santosh, who has campaigned against sugary beverages mislabelled as ORS. In a post on X, she noted that such products continued to be available “despite an order by the Delhi High Court and directions by Fssai.”
