ORSL Row: Hyderabad Doctor Reaches Out To PM Modi; Food Regulator Denies Permitting Sale

A Hyderabad-based paediatrician on Friday has slammed the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) for allegedly "allowing" the sale of high-sugar "ORSL" drink stocks.

Dr. Sivaranjini Santosh denounced FSSAI's consent as "not fair," arguing it undermines the crucial public health directive and reiterates "urgency" to enforce the ban and ensure only genuine, WHO-compliant rehydration solutions are sold, particularly in sensitive channels like pharmacies and schools.

Taking to social media, Dr. Sivaranjini tagged PM Modi and JP Nadda and wrote, "My fight had always been against the misleading labels of ORSL, RebalanzVitORS, ORSfit, GluconDActivORS and liquids not compliant with WHO recommended formula ORS... The 17th Oct stay was issued based on an agreement between JNTL and FSSAI (Union of India) that JNTL will submit a representation in a week's time and that the 15th Oct order will be on hold till the said representation is decided. This is not fair! The FSSAI shouldn't have agreed for this! Had FSSAI not agreed, the court may not have disposed of the petition with the Stay order." [sic]

The regulatory tussle began after the FSSAI issued a landmark order on Oct. 15, prohibiting any food product, including beverages, from using the term 'ORS' unless its formulation strictly adheres to the World Health Organisation's (WHO) recommended standards for Oral Rehydration Salts.

This order followed an eight-year-long campaign by Dr. Sivaranjini against misleading products like ORSL, which she and other health experts argue contain dangerously high sugar content and inadequate electrolytes, making them ineffective and potentially harmful for children suffering from diarrhoea.

However, a stay order was reportedly issued on Oct. 17, based on an agreement between FSSAI and the manufacturer, JNTL (the Indian arm of Kenvue). This move, which some reports initially suggested might allow for the sale of existing high-sugar ORSL stocks. Dr. Sivaranjini, on Oct. 23, called it as a "national shame."

"It's a national shame that FSSAI has consented to the request by JNTL(the Indian subsidiary of Kenvue which is a spin off of Johnson and Johnson) for a stay order to dispose of it's stock of high sugar ORSL! Sir, not only now, in future also, except WHO WHO-recommended formula ORS, no sachet or tetrapack should be allowed in pharmacies(including online), hospitals, and schools, as far as rehydrating medicines are concerned," she beseeched.

The FSSAI has denied giving consent for the sale or disposal of the existing ORSL stocks. The food regulator clarified that claims suggesting its approval for disposal were a "misrepresentation of facts" and urged the public to refer to the official court order.

However, the full implications of the stay order remain a point of contention for public health advocates who are asking for stricter regulations and enforcement to ensure public health and safety.