FSSAI orders nationwide removal of fruit juices and electrolyte drinks falsely sold as ‘ORS’

The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has directed State and Union Territory food safety departments to immediately remove from sale all fruit-based beverages, ready-to-serve drinks, electrolyte drinks and similar products deceptively marketed with the term “ORS” on their labels, brand names or product descriptions.

The regulator issued the order on November 19 after noticing that several non-compliant beverages continue to be sold across retail outlets and online platforms despite earlier warnings.

The crackdown follows FSSAI’s October 2025 directives withdrawing permissions for food companies to use the term “ORS”, either as a standalone word or as a prefix or suffix on any product that does not conform to the World Health Organisation’s recommended Oral Rehydration Salts (ORS) formulation. WHO-compliant ORS products fall under the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940 and are categorised as drugs, not foods.

FSSAI flags growing violations despite repeated orders

In its latest order, FSSAI noted that multiple fruit-based beverages, energy drinks and electrolyte drinks were still being promoted as “ORS” or “ORS-based” on e-commerce platforms, grocery stores, chemists, and modern retail chains. Such naming, the regulator said, violates the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 because these drinks do not match the stringent composition of WHO-recommended ORS used for managing dehydration during diarrhoeal illnesses.

To curb this persistent malpractice, FSSAI has instructed all Designated Officers and field officials to conduct urgent inspection drives across online marketplaces and physical stores. Officials must identify non-compliant products and ensure they are “immediately removed from sale”, the order says. Regulatory action must also be initiated against the concerned food business operators (FBOs).

Authorities have been asked to submit a comprehensive Action Taken Report at the earliest, detailing inspections conducted, violations detected and corrective steps implemented, including product removals.

Clarifies: WHO-recommended ORS (drug) products must not be targeted

The regulator also expressed concern that some field officers had recently taken enforcement action even against legitimate WHO-recommended ORS (drug) products, wrongly treating them as part of the crackdown on misleading beverages. FSSAI reiterated that WHO-recommended ORS formulations are notified as drugs and lie outside FSSAI’s regulatory purview. Therefore, the October orders apply only to food and beverage products misusing the ORS terminology, not to actual ORS (drug) sachets approved under the Drugs and Cosmetics Act.

Field officers have been asked to exercise “due diligence” during inspections and avoid sampling, seizure or disruption of genuine ORS products.

Growing market misuse and consumer safety concerns

The misleading use of “ORS” by beverage brands has expanded rapidly in recent years, aided by online sales and aggressive marketing. Health experts have repeatedly warned that these drinks often contain sugar levels far exceeding WHO’s therapeutic ORS limits, lack the required electrolyte balance, and cannot treat dehydration in medical situations. Consumers, however, may mistake such drinks for medically approved ORS, posing potential health risks.

FSSAI’s renewed intervention aims to prevent this confusion at a time when the consumption of flavoured hydration beverages and so-called electrolyte drinks is rising sharply.

States told to prioritise inspections across India

FSSAI has instructed all State Food Safety Commissioners and Central Licensing Authorities to prioritise enforcement at three levels:

*Rapid verification drives across e-commerce platforms, pharmacies, supermarkets and kirana stores.

*Immediate removal of products containing “ORS” in brand or product names.

*Initiation of regulatory action against manufacturers and sellers in violation of the rules.

*Retailers and online platforms have also been asked to ensure that beverages falsely marketed as ORS are delisted without delay.

The order stresses that misleading ORS-labelled beverages constitute “deceptive practices” that violate food safety laws and may mislead vulnerable consumers seeking medically validated hydration solutions. By tightening enforcement, FSSAI aims to ensure that the term “ORS” remains associated only with WHO-compliant therapeutic formulations, safeguarding both public health and regulatory integrity.