In a significant crackdown on the continued misuse of the term ORS in brand or product names, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) on Wednesday, November 19, 2025, issued a fresh order directing State and Union Territory Food Safety Authorities to immediately remove all fruit based beverages, ready-to-serve drinks, beverages, energy drinks, electrolyte drinks, and similar products from retail outlets, e-commerce platforms.
FSSAI Flags Continued Misuse Of ‘ORS’
The latest order, issued by FSSAI official Dr Satyen Kumar Panda, noted that several manufacturers, including local grocery stores, pharmacies, supermarkets, and modern trade stores, continue to sell products labelled under “ORS” in violation of the earlier directives issued during October that banned the use of either a single word or a prefix or suffix for food products. This, in a manner, constitutes a “violation of the provisions of the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, and the regulations made thereunder.”
FSSAI Directs Officers To Launch Inspections
The October directives were issued after Hyderabad-based paediatrician Dr. Sivaranjani Santosh’s 8-year efforts. She had launched a campaign against major pharmaceutical companies for selling sugar-heavy beverages under the medically significant term ‘ORS’.
“Issue necessary instructions to Designated Officers and Field officers to conduct immediate verification/inspection drives across e-commerce platforms, retail outlets within their jurisdiction, to identify food products violating the above orders by using the term “ORS” in brand/product names or labels,” the release stated.
FSSAI Directs Submission Of ATR
To curb the practice, authorities are directed to submit a comprehensive action taken report (ATR) at the earliest, detailing the inspections conducted, violations detected, corrective actions initiated, and the status of product removal from the mentioned platforms.
The order also mentioned that certain Food Safety Officers are initiating actions against WHO-recommended Oral Rehydration Salts (ORS) products, even though the regulatory directions apply only to misleading products.
