New Delhi: The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has issued a stringent order mandating the immediate removal of certain fruit-based beverages, ready-to-serve drinks, energy drinks, and electrolyte drinks that are misleadingly marketed using the term "ORS" (Oral Rehydration Salts).

The order, dated November 16, focuses on products being sold across various retail outlets, including local grocery shops, chemists, supermarkets, and e-commerce platforms, that claim to be ORS but do not conform to the WHO-recommended ORS formulation.

Violation of Regulatory Directives

The FSSAI emphasized that marketing a product using the term "ORS," or any similar prefix or suffix, when the product does not meet the prescribed WHO formulation standards, constitutes a violation of the provisions outlined in the Food Safety and Standards Act.

This enforcement action follows prior regulatory orders issued by FSSAI on October 14-15. These earlier orders specifically applied to fruit-based beverages and similar food products being misleadingly marketed as "ORS".

FSSAI Demands Immediate Enforcement

To ensure compliance, the FSSAI has instructed concerned authorities at all levels to undertake comprehensive monitoring activities. Specific actions mandated include:

1) Intensified Inspections: Necessary instructions must be issued to Designated Officers and Field Officers to intensify monitoring and inspections within their respective jurisdictions.

2) Identification and Removal: Officers must identify food products being sold in the marketplace that use the term or label "ORS" in violation of the aforementioned orders.

3) Regulatory Action: Non-compliant products are required to be immediately removed from sale, and appropriate regulatory action must be initiated against the concerned Food Business Operators (FBOs) as per FSSAI regulations.

4) Reporting: Compliance reports detailing the inspections conducted, violations detected, corrective actions taken, and regulatory action initiated must be sent to the FSSAI headquarters at the earliest.

The FSSAI noted that Food Safety Officers were already initiating action to remove fruit-based beverages and drinks misleadingly named as ORS products, even though regulatory directions had already been issued.

Protection for Genuine ORS (Drugs)

A critical clarification was issued to ensure that legitimate, life-saving Oral Rehydration Salts (ORS) are not impacted by the enforcement drive.

The FSSAI reiterated that products notified as "drugs" under the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940, fall entirely outside the regulatory purview of the FSSAI. The October 2025 orders neither regulate nor restrict legitimate ORS (drug) products.

Authorities are strictly instructed to ensure there is no interference with the storage, distribution, or sale of WHO-recommended ORS (drug) products. Enforcement activities must remain strictly confined to non-compliant food products presented or labelled as "ORS".

Field officers must exercise due diligence and are explicitly prohibited from carrying out any sampling, seizure, or lifting of WHO-recommended ORS (drug) products.