New Delhi | October 17, 2025 | SKY LINK TIMES
FSSAI Bans ORS:
India’s top food regulator, the FSSAI Bans ORS and has issued a strict advisory directing beverage companies to immediately remove the term “ORS” (Oral Rehydration Solution) from product names, packaging, and advertisements.
In its latest directive dated October 14, 2025, the FSSAI stated that using “ORS” for beverages — even with prefixes or suffixes — violates the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, and misleads consumers into believing such products are medically approved rehydration solutions.
Table of Contents
Why FSSAI Took the Step
The regulator’s decision follows a detailed review of permissions granted in 2022 and 2024, which had conditionally allowed companies to use “ORS” in branding if they displayed a disclaimer: “The product is NOT an ORS formula as recommended by WHO.”
However, the FSSAI has now withdrawn those permissions, stating that such disclaimers have not prevented consumer confusion. Many people continue to mistake flavored drinks and electrolyte beverages for therapeutic Oral Rehydration Solutions, which are designed under World Health Organisation (WHO) standards to treat dehydration caused by diarrhoea, vomiting, or heat exhaustion.
Misleading Health Claims Under Scrutiny
The advisory warns that using “ORS” in beverage branding constitutes “false, deceptive, ambiguous, and erroneous labelling” under the Food Safety and Standards (Labelling and Display) Regulations, 2020, and the Advertising and Claims Regulations, 2018.
The FSSAI clarified that only medically formulated ORS products — recognized under pharmaceutical norms — qualify to use the label. In contrast, commercial energy drinks or fruit-based beverages often contain added sugars, artificial flavours, and fruit concentrates that fail to meet WHO’s precise glucose-electrolyte balance standards.
Strict Compliance Ordered
FSSAI Bans ORS and All Food Business Operators (FBOs) have been instructed to remove “ORS” from product names, labels, and trademarks with immediate effect. Failure to comply will be treated as misbranding and misleading advertising, punishable under Sections 52 and 53 of the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006.
This move is part of a wider crackdown on false health claims in India’s booming functional drink market, ensuring that consumers are not misled by marketing tactics that blur the line between nutritional beverages and medical formulations.
Consumer Awareness Comes First
By enforcing this rule, the FSSAI Bans ORS and aims to protect public health and maintain trust in India’s food and beverage labeling system. The regulator also urged consumers to verify health claims before purchasing products that claim to aid hydration or recovery.
For More Info Stay Tuned: https://skylinktimes.in
