Other companies in the segment, including Red Bull, Reliance Consumer Products, Monster and Hell have approached the government seeking an extension, reports note
Moving ahead of the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India’s (FSSAI) 90-day compliance timeline after the regulator removed ‘energy drinks’ as a recognised product category, PepsiCo India has started rolling out new Sting cans and Pet bottles without the word ‘energy’.
Reports noted that other companies in the segment, including Red Bull, Reliance Consumer Products, Monster and Hell have approached the government seeking an extension. PepsiCo’s move comes despite its significant global investment in Sting’s positioning.
Last month, the authority issued notices to beverage companies, including PepsiCo and Red Bull, over what it described as potentially misleading marketing of certain products as “energy drinks.” The regulator’s action follows concerns over the use of the term “energy drink” for products despite the absence of any notified standards for such a category under India’s food safety regulations.
PepsiCo, which manufactures Sting and its recently introduced Adrenaline Rush beverage, was among the companies that received the notices. According to FSSAI, both products have been promoted using energy drink claims. Clarifying its position, the food regulator had said that it has not established any regulatory standards for products classified as “energy drinks” or similar categories.
“The food category system under the FSS Regulations, 2011 is not intended for product naming or labelling purposes,” the regulator said in a social media post. The notices signalled increased regulatory scrutiny of product labelling and marketing practices in the beverages segment, particularly where product descriptions could potentially mislead consumers.
