FSSAI Calls For Ban Of Fruit Juice, Electrolytes Being Sold As 'ORS'

The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has issued a notice to prohibit the sale of fruit drinks and electrolyte drinks being sold under the name ORS, NDTV reported on Thursday.

FSSAI has been cracking down on beverages that have a misleading 'ORS' label since last month. This time the food authority has asked all states to immediately conduct raids and take action.

The new order underlines that many of these so-called 'ORS' labelled drinks do not contain actual WHO-approved ORS formula and thus have no medicinal qualities.

Hence, writing 'ORS' on the packaging, without having met these requirements is not only misleading but also a violation of the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006.

An urgent inspection of E-commerce platforms and retail shops have been ordered by FSSAI, along with an immediate removal of falsely labelled products. It has also asked state governments to take regulatory action against these companies and send a report to Delhi.

The autonomous regulatory body clarified that authentic medical ORS, which has WHO approved ORS formula is not banned.

It also emphasised that strict action is the need of the hour since previous orders by the authority were not implemented in full effect.

In October, FSSAI had issued a similar order which mandated that only those drinks can be labelled ORS which have a WHO approved formula.

ORS is a vital remedy for diarrhoea, which according to National Institutes of Health, is the third leading cause of childhood mortality. It is essentially a mixture of water, sugar, and salts that helps manage dehydration caused due to the loss of fluids by replenishing them.

The October order underlined how how the term could be used by Food Business Operators.