Mumbai: Hyderabad-based paediatrician Dr. Sivaranjani Santosh, who has been spearheading the campaign for strict enforcement of the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India’s (FSSAI) order banning non-compliant ORS formulations, has expressed strong disappointment over the regulator’s continued silence following the Delhi High Court’s directive.
“The FSSAI is not saying anything that’s the whole point,” Dr. Santosh said. “The Delhi High Court had directed JNTL to submit its representation to the FSSAI within a week, and the FSSAI was supposed to take a decision. But the authority has remained completely silent. It hasn’t even clarified whether JNTL has submitted the representation or not.”
‘FSSAI Just Sitting Quiet, Allowing Companies to Sell Stock’
Dr. Santosh criticised the regulator for failing to act even after the court’s timeline expired.
“If JNTL has submitted it, FSSAI should have given its decision by now — either to implement the October 15 order or otherwise. And if JNTL hasn’t filed any representation, the FSSAI should still go ahead and enforce the order. But neither is happening,” she said.“They’re just sitting quiet — silent, silent, silent allowing companies to freely dispose of their existing stock.”
She further alleged that banned ORS formulations continue to be readily available at pharmacies, undermining consumer safety.
One-Week Court Deadline Ends; FSSAI Yet to Respond
The Delhi High Court had granted one week for JNTL Consumer Health (India) to submit its representation to the FSSAI. “That one week is over. The ball is now in FSSAI’s court. The matter is not sub judice anymore,” Dr. Santosh stressed.
She reiterated that only WHO-recommended ORS formulations should be available in pharmacies and that no other product — including those sold in supermarkets should carry the term ‘ORS’ on their labels.
FSSAI Remains Unresponsive to Queries
The Free Press Journal sent an email to the CEO of FSSAI seeking clarity on whether JNTL’s representation had been received and what action, if any, had followed. There was no response till the time of going to press.
FSSAI’s Advisory and Court Stay
On October 14, the FSSAI had issued an advisory directing all food and beverage companies to remove the term “ORS” (Oral Rehydration Solution) from product names, labels, and trademarks even when used with a prefix or suffix.
However, JNTL Consumer Health (India) approached the Delhi High Court, which granted an interim stay on the ban with respect to registered trademarks using the “ORS” prefix or suffix for electrolyte and beverage products.
Dr. Santosh’s Message to Citizens
In a heartfelt social media post, Dr. Santosh thanked citizens for standing by her in the ongoing fight to protect child health.
“I thought for a moment that I don’t have it in me anymore to fight! But when I saw the support coming from you all, I knew I could continue to fight tooth and nail, with the support of Indians like you. Thank you — it means a lot to me, and to the children of this country!”
