Take the real ORS: FSSAI ban puts an end to sugar-coated lies

IN a landmark move, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has banned the use of the term ‘ORS’ — Oral Rehydration Salts — on any beverage label that does not meet the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) standard formulation. This is a public health victory long overdue. The order follows an eight-year battle by Hyderabad-based paediatrician Sivaranjani Santhosh, who fought to expose how several sugar-laden “energy” drinks misleadingly used the term ORS to market themselves as medical hydration solutions. For years, parents — trusting the packaging — gave these commercial “ORS-like” drinks to sick children, unaware that high sugar concentrations could worsen dehydration, particularly in cases of diarrhoea.

The WHO-approved ORS is a carefully balanced mix of glucose and electrolytes designed to replace lost fluids and salts. The commercial concoctions, however, were nothing more than sweetened beverages cloaked in medical legitimacy. The marketing of these drinks has paid off handsomely — India’s so-called “ORS drink” market is valued at nearly Rs 1,000 crore, with some brands claiming five-fold growth in just three years and cornering over 14 per cent of the category. By projecting themselves as health aids rather than flavoured beverages, companies managed to expand distribution, boost brand trust and capture consumers across pharmacies and grocery shelves alike. The weak regulatory oversight created a favourable environment for them. Hopefully, the regulatory clampdown now will reduce this advantage.

The episode underscores how vigilant citizens and ethical doctors can safeguard public health where enforcement often lags. It also reveals the gap between food marketing and scientific evidence. It is a chasm that our regulatory agencies must continue to bridge. In protecting the sanctity of something as simple yet life-saving as ORS, the FSSAI has reaffirmed that health is not a marketing slogan. Now, the ban should put an end to the sugar-coated lies.