FSSAI Orders Immediate Removal Of Misleading ORS And Electrolyte Products; Here Is Everything You Should Know

The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), on Wednesday, issued an order demanding the immediate removal of fruit-based beverages, ready-to-serve drinks, energy drinks, and other similar

products that use the term "ORS" in their product names. Why? Because many of these drinks have been misusing the term "ORS" to sound like a hydration therapy, when in reality these are just sugar-loaded sodas with a little bit of salt. For the unversed, ORS is a simple and powerful mix of sugar, salt and clean water which is being used to treat dehydration which is caused by heat and diarrhoea. As per doctors, it can replace lost fluids and minerals quickly.FSSAI stated that this is not just misleading but it is also potentially dangerous. "It is hereby clarified that, upon further review, the use of the term "ORS" in the trademarked name or in the naming of any food products otherwise-whether fruits-based, non-carbonated, or ready-to-drink beverages-even when accompanied by a prefix or suffix, constitutes a violation of the provisions of the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 and the regulations made thereunder," the good regulatory board of India clarified in October.

What Is The Actual Order Of FSSAI?

The regulatory board is demanding that all food business operators (FBOs) must stop using "ORS" in drinks unless the formula matches the actual WHO-recommended ORS standard. If found, these products must be removed from sale, and regulatory action must be taken against the companies involved. Officers must also send a detailed action taken report to FSSAI, listing inspections, violations, and the status of product removal.With this, the authority also instructed all officers to make sure that there is no interference in the storage, distribution and even the sale of the WHO-recommended ORS drug products. Enforcement activities must only target non-compliant food products that are falsely using the term "ORS".The development comes in after pediatrician Dr Sivaranjani Santosh won an eight-year-long battle against misleading labels when the FSSAI banned food and beverage brands from using the term "ORS" unless their product strictly followed WHO-approved medical formulations. Dr. Santosh's relentless campaign managed to expose how sugary drinks were being falsely marketed as rehydration solutions, putting children at risk. Her win made sure that only genuine medical ORS can be sold under that name.Speaking about the case at the Times India Health Summit, Dr Santosh said, "The issue has been giving me and my family sleepless nights because of the way I am passionately trying to let everybody know that we have to hydrate people the right way. Not only children, but everyone. This is for diarrhoea, vomiting, dehydration - the best liquid to give for dehydration is the WHO-recommended formula ORS."