FSSAI orders immediate removal of drinks misusing ORS label

The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India has ordered state and Union Territory authorities to remove from sale all fruit-based beverages, ready-to-serve drinks, energy drinks, electrolyte beverages and similar products marketed using the term ‘ORS.’

In a directive issued November 19, FSSAI said several manufacturers continue to use ‘ORS’ in brand names or product names despite instructions issued on October 14 and 15 prohibiting the practice. The regulator said the term is associated exclusively with WHO-recommended Oral Rehydration Salts, which are classified as drug products under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006.

The October orders followed an eight-year effort by Hyderabad-based paediatrician Dr. Sivaranjani Santosh, who has raised concerns about sugar-heavy beverages being sold under ORS-like names.

The authority said such products remain widely available in grocery stores, modern retail outlets and on major e-commerce platforms, posing a risk of misleading consumers who may mistake them for legitimate ORS used for managing dehydration.

State authorities have been instructed to begin immediate inspections across offline and online marketplaces, identify non-compliant products, ensure their removal from sale and initiate regulatory action. Officials must also submit action-taken reports detailing inspections, violations and corrective steps.

The order noted instances of enforcement action taken against genuine ORS products. FSSAI clarified that its directives apply only to misleading food and beverage items and do not restrict the manufacture or sale of WHO-recommended ORS, which is regulated under the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940. The regulator said legitimate ORS should not be subjected to food-related sampling or seizure.