New Delhi: Several social media posts claimed that the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) permitted the disposal or sale of ORSL.. Reacting to the social media claims, the fact-check unit of the Press Bureau of India (PIB) called them "misleading".
In an X post, the PIB Fact-Check said, "Some social media posts claim that FSSAI has permitted the disposal or sale of ORSL. This claim is misleading! @fssaiindia has NOT permitted the disposal or sale of ORSL."
Earlier this month, India's food regulator ordered food and beverage companies to remove the term “ORS” (Oral Rehydration Solution) from all product names, labels, and trademarks, even when used with a prefix or suffix. Days after the FSSAI's order, several social media users claimed the FSSAI allowed the sale of sugar-rich beverages under the guise of oral rehydration solutions.
What FSSAI Said In Its Order Against The Mislabelled 'ORS' Drinks?
On October 14, the directive immediately withdrew all previous permissions that allowed Food Business Operators (FBOs) to use “ORS” in their brand names, including two earlier orders from July 14, 2022, and February 2, 2024.
Those orders had permitted its use with disclaimers such as, “The product is Not an ORS formula as recommended by WHO.”
A day after the directive, on October 15, FSSAI issued a clarification reiterating that using “ORS” in any food product—whether fruit-based, non-carbonated, or ready-to-drink—violates the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006.
The campaign against these sugar-rich beverages wrongly labelled as ORS was led by Dr Sivaranjani Santosh, a Hyderabad-based paediatrician.
Dr Sivaranjani Santosh On Delhi High Court's Interim Stay' On FSSAI Order:
On Thursday, the Delhi High Court reportedly granted an interim stay against the FSSAI ban. Reacting to the development, Dr Santosh criticised the FSSAI. “Why do we suffer in silence? If the same thing happened in the US, the company selling ORS would have been slapped with millions of cases. And here, it managed to get a stay order with the consent of FSSAI. It’s a shame. A stay order to dispose of its stock. It’s high-sugar ORSL. How are we allowing this to happen?” the doctor said in a video message.
Who IS Dr Sivaranjani Santosh?
Dr Santosh is a paediatrician at the Magna Centres for Obesity, Diabetes, and Endocrinology in Hyderabad’s Film Nagar. With over 18 years of clinical experience, she focuses on preventive healthcare, first aid, CPR training, newborn care, and breastfeeding guidance. She completed her MBBS and MD in Paediatrics from the Jawaharlal Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education and Research (JIPMER), Puducherry.
In 2022, she filed a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) before the Telangana High Court, arguing that several companies were misleading consumers and endangering public health, particularly that of children and diabetic patients.
