In a move aimed at curbing misleading health claims and protecting consumers, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has issued a directive prohibiting food and beverage manufacturers from using the term “ORS” (Oral Rehydration Solution) on their product labels unless, the product strictly adheres to the World Health Organization’s (WHO) approved formulation.
The order, issued on October 14, rescinds earlier permissions granted in 2022 and 2024 that had allowed certain companies to retain “ORS” branding so long as they included disclaimers that the product was not a WHO-compliant ORS. Under the new directive, all “food business operators are directed to remove the word ‘ORS’ from their food products, whether used standalone or with prefix/suffix or as part of a trademark” unless the formula meets the prescribed standard.
FSSAI has classified the use of “ORS” on sugary drinks, electrolyte beverages, and other similar products as “false, deceptive and misleading labelling” in violation of the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006.
In a clarification to the 14th October order issued on 15th October, the FSSAI stated, “It is hereby clarified that, upon further review, the use of the term “ORS” in the trademarked name or in the naming of any food product otherwise-whether fruit-based, non-carbonated, or ready-to-drink beverages-even when accompanied by a prefix or suffix, constitutes a violation of the provisions of the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 and the regulations made thereunder.”
FSSAI writes to the all states/UTs Commissioners of Food Safety and all Central Licensing Authorities regarding all food business operators to remove the combination from their food products, whether used as a standalone term or in word "ORS" with any prefix/sufix or as part of… pic.twitter.com/mMVWOj5T0t
— ANI (@ANI) October 16, 2025
The notification said, “all Food Business Operators are directed to remove the word “ORS” from their food products, whether used as a standalone term or in combination with any prefix/suffix or as part of the trademark with prefix/suffix in the product name and to ensure strict compliance with the labelling and advertisement requirements prescribed under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 and the regulations framed thereunder.”
The ban marks the culmination of an eight-year campaign led by Hyderabad paediatrician Dr Sivaranjani Santosh, who has repeatedly warned that sugary drinks marketed as ORS pose serious health risks, particularly for children suffering from diarrhoea. Notably, popular ORS branded beverages contain the disclaimer specifically mentioning that it should be consumed during diarrhoea, while WHO prescribed ORS is an ideal treatment for the dehydration caused by the disease. This has led to massive misunderstanding among people, leading to diarrhoea patients consuming the wrong ORS.
WHO ORS is a precise therapeutic formulation with specified ratios of salts and glucose, and substituting it with high-sugar “electrolyte beverages” can worsen dehydration rather than treat it.
With this regulatory shift, beverage companies will now have to either reformulate their products to match WHO standards before using the ORS label or remove the term entirely from the branding.
