FSSAI bans use of ‘ORS’ label on non-WHO approved drinks and supplements

The Indian government has banned the use of the label “ORS” on all beverages and supplements that are not approved by the World Health Organization (WHO).

The move reverses earlier permissions that had allowed companies to use “ORS” in product names with disclaimers.

In an order issued on October 15, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) said that no food product - whether fruit-based, non-carbonated, or ready-to-drink - can use “ORS” even as a prefix or suffix in a trademark or brand name.

The ban takes immediate effect.

The decision withdraws permissions granted in July 2022 and February 2024, which had allowed the use of “ORS” with the condition that the label clearly stated the product was not a WHO-recommended formula. FSSAI said these relaxations had resulted in “false, deceptive, ambiguous, and erroneous” labelling.

The regulator added that “ORS” carries strong public trust and that its misuse could “mislead consumers by way of false and deceptive claims,” especially when used on products not meant for medical rehydration.

The order also reaffirms that an earlier directive from April 8, 2022, regarding misleading advertisements and marketing of ORS substitutes, remains in force.

FSSAI’s decision comes amid growing concerns about the marketing of sugar-rich drinks as oral rehydration solutions. ORS is a simple mixture of salts and sugar dissolved in water, used to treat dehydration caused by diarrhoea, heat stroke, and other conditions involving fluid loss.

Hyderabad-based paediatrician Dr Sivaranjani Santosh, who has led an eight-year campaign against mislabelled ORS products, welcomed the move. “No one can use ORS on their label unless it is a WHO-recommended formula, and no one can sell it right from today,” she said.

Health activists and doctors also praised Dr Santosh for her consistent efforts to bring attention to the misleading marketing of such beverages.