'Sleepless Nights, But Worth It': Dr Sivaranjani Santosh on Her ORS Naming Battle (South Edition)

After an eight-year battle, pediatrician Dr Sivaranjani Santosh won a major victory against misleading labels as the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) banned food and beverage brands from using the term “ORS” unless their product strictly follows WHO-approved medical formulations. The food safety authority has said the term ORS labelling and advertisements are misleading to consumers. “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 the people the right way. Not only children, but everyone. This is diarrhoea, vomiting, dehydration - so the best liquid to give for dehydration is the WHO-recommended formula ORS," said Dr Santosh at the Times

Network India Health Summit 2025. Dr. Santosh’s relentless campaign has exposed how sugary drinks were being falsely marketed as rehydration solutions, putting children at risk. Her win ensures that only genuine medical ORS can be sold under that name, marking a milestone for public health and consumer safety in India. The FSSAI order, which came on October 14, was celebrated by Dr Santosh, who took to social media to share an emotional moment: "We have won it." "You have a lot of tetra packs in every pharmacy, be it an online pharmacy with the label ORS, in suffix or prefix, but they are high sugar drinks which will worsen dehydration, even if they advertise to say that they are good at dengue or typhoid - please don't give them to your loved ones or to anybody. Give only WHO-recommended ones for correcting dehydration," she said at the session.

https://youtu.be/noFhuDgIL7g?si=Rbz95Hvlx7t8w4mN

The food safety regulator clarified that the use of the term "ORS" in trademarked names or in the naming of any food products - even when accompanied by a prefix or suffix - constitutes a violation of the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006. The FSSAI order withdraws earlier directives issued in July 2022 and February 2024 that had permitted use of the term 'ORS' on food labels, subject to a declaration or warning stating that "the product is not an ORS formula as recommended by WHO.Use of the term without WHO recommendation will now be considered misbranded and misleading, and liable for punishment under the FSSAI Act 2006, the regulator said."In view of the above, all Food Business Operators are directed to remove the word 'ORS' from their food products, whether used as a standalone term or in combination with any prefix/suffix or as part of the trademark with prefix/suffix in the product name and to ensure strict compliance with the labelling and advertisement requirements prescribed under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 and the regulations framed thereunder," the FSSAI order stated.However, the direction issued under section 6(5) regarding misleading advertisement and marketing of ORS substitute products, dated April 8, 2022, remains in effect.

What is ORS?

ORS is a simple yet powerful mix of sugar, salt, and clean water used for treating dehydration that is caused mostly by diarrhoea, heat, or vomiting. According to doctors, it replaces lost fluids and minerals quickly. The WHO recommends a specific:

• Six teaspoons of sugar
• Half a teaspoon of salt
• Mixed in a liter of clean water

This simple mix can save lives—but only when made the right way. Using too much sugar or salt can make things worse. Also, using sugar substitutes or adding extra ingredients like fruit powders or spirulina stops the solution from working properly.