Shillong, Nov 21: The Commissionerate of Food Safety, Meghalaya has ordered the immediate removal of fruit-based beverages and other drinks misusing the term “ORS” in their brand or product names.
Deputy Commissioner [Food Safety}-Enforcement Health & Family Welfare Department DBS Mukhim in the order instructed wholesalers and distributors to recall such products from retailers, pharmacies and doctors’ clinics immediately.
The wholesalers and distributors have been directed to return the products to the respective manufacturers for relabelling in line with Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) directives and to follow the Standard Operating Procedures to ensure complete traceability during the recall process.
The enforcement and supervision of this action shall be carried out by all Designated Officers and Food Safety Officers across the State, Mukhim said.
She said such beverages are misbranded and misleading as they do not meet the formulation and standards of Oral Rehydration Salts (ORS) under the FSSAI.
A state-wide enforcement drive would be conducted by designated officers and food safety officers in compliance with an FSSAI clarification dated October 15, which stated that beverages using the term ‘ORS’ are misbranded and misleading as they do not meet the formulation standards for oral rehydration salts.
The FSSAI has clarified that ORS is a therapeutic formulation and cannot be marketed or sold as a general-consumption beverage.
The Commissionerate has urged all stakeholders to ensure consumers are protected from misleading and non-standard products.
The development comes in after pediatrician Dr Sivaranjani Santosh won an eight-year-long battle against misleading labels when the FSSAI banned food and beverage brands from using the term “ORS” unless their product strictly followed WHO-approved medical formulations.
Dr. Santosh’s relentless campaign managed to expose how sugary drinks were being falsely marketed as rehydration solutions, putting children at risk. Her win made sure that only genuine medical ORS can be sold under that name.
