FSSAI Cracks Down on Misleading ORS-Labeled Beverages
India's food safety regulator has launched a major enforcement drive to remove beverages falsely marketed as Oral Rehydration Solutions (ORS) from store shelves and e-commerce platforms across the country. The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has issued urgent directives to state authorities and field officers to ensure immediate removal of all such products that violate established health standards.
Immediate Market Removal Ordered
The FSSAI has instructed its state-level counterparts and field officers to conduct special enforcement drives targeting fruit beverages, ready-to-serve drinks, and electrolyte drinks that carry brand names containing the term 'ORS' without following the World Health Organization's recommended formulation. This decisive action comes after reports revealed that despite previous regulations, numerous stores and online shopping platforms continue to stock and sell these misleading products.
Authorities have been directed to submit detailed action taken reports documenting their inspections, identified violations, and corrective measures implemented. The regulatory body has specifically emphasized that no interference should be made with the storage, distribution, or sale of genuine WHO-recommended ORS products, ensuring that legitimate medical solutions remain available to consumers.
Legal Battles and Public Health Concerns
The current enforcement push follows FSSAI's ban last month on using the term 'ORS' in brand names for any product that doesn't comply with WHO standards. The regulatory action faced legal challenges when pharmaceutical giant Johnson & Johnson's subsidiary, JNTL Consumer Health, approached the Delhi High Court seeking permission to sell existing stocks of their non-compliant products. However, the court denied their request, upholding the regulatory ban.
This isn't the first time FSSAI has addressed this issue. Initial restrictions were imposed in April 2022, prohibiting other drinks from using the ORS terminology. However, a subsequent order created confusion by allowing companies to use the term in their brand names provided they carried warnings stating the products weren't actual ORS solutions.
This regulatory loophole had serious consequences for public health. Many consumers continued to purchase these products under the mistaken belief they were buying genuine ORS, leading to documented cases where children required hospitalization due to worsening dehydration after consuming these ineffective substitutes.
Protecting Vulnerable Consumers
The FSSAI's strengthened position reflects growing concern about misleading health claims in the beverage industry. By enforcing strict compliance with WHO standards, the authority aims to prevent situations where consumers, particularly children and elderly individuals, might rely on ineffective products during critical health situations requiring proper rehydration therapy.
State food safety departments have now been mobilized to ensure complete market compliance, with regular monitoring and reporting mechanisms established to prevent future violations. The regulatory body has made it clear that any products found violating the ORS labeling standards will face immediate removal and could result in penalties against retailers and distributors.
This comprehensive crackdown represents FSSAI's commitment to ensuring that Indian consumers have access to safe, effective, and properly labeled health products, particularly those as critical as oral rehydration solutions that can be life-saving in cases of severe dehydration.
