FSSAI Directs States To Remove Misleading ‘ORS’ Labels From Food Products
FSSAI Directs States To Remove Misleading ‘ORS’ Labels From Food Products
New Delhi, October 17, 2025: In a significant move to safeguard public health, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has directed all states and union territories to ensure the removal of the term ‘ORS’ from food product labels unless they strictly follow the World Health Organization (WHO)-approved formulation.
The directive, issued on October 14, specifies how Food Business Operators (FBOs) may use the term. The order states: “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.”
FSSAI’s action comes after reports that many pharmacies across India were selling electrolyte products labeled as ORS, even though they did not comply with WHO’s formulation guidelines. Diarrhoea, the third leading cause of childhood mortality in India, can be effectively managed with authentic ORS formulations, but misleading product labels have posed health risks.
FSSAI had earlier taken a similar step in April 2022, cautioning companies against deceptive advertising of ‘ORS substitutes’. That order had allowed the use of the term only with a clear warning stating: “The product is NOT an ORS formula as recommended by WHO.”
Reacting to the new directive, Hyderabad-based paediatrician Dr. Sivaranjani Santosh, who has long campaigned against mislabeled ORS brands, said in an Instagram post, “They can not only not use ORS, but they also cannot sell it from today, right now. No misleading products with ORS can be sold. We have won the battle.”
Dr. Sivaranjani earlier told The Hindu that high-sugar drinks marketed as ORS could worsen diarrhoea. She pointed out that several popular electrolyte drinks — such as ORSL, Gatorade, Enerzal, Tata Gluco Plus, 100Plus, and Fast&Up Reload — do not meet WHO’s recommended ORS standards.
According to WHO, dehydration caused by diarrhoea can be prevented and treated effectively at home using a proper Oral Rehydration Salts (ORS) solution, made by mixing six teaspoons of sugar and half a teaspoon of salt in one litre of clean water.
