Fake ORS Drinks Banned: Hyderabad Doctor's 8-Year Fight Sparks Action By FSSAI

In a landmark decision, India's food regulator has issued a sweeping ban on the use of the term "ORS" in the branding of beverages that do not meet the medically mandated composition of true oral rehydration solutions. The move comes after years of advocacy by paediatrician Dr Sivaranjini Santhosh in Hyderabad, who documented alarming cases of children developing life-threatening dehydration despite being administered drinks marketed as ORS. These so-called "repair solution" drinks reportedly contained excessive sugar and inadequate salt and electrolyte ratios, undermining their intended purpose. The regulator's directive closes a dangerous loophole exploited by some beverage companies and marks a critical step in safeguarding child health in India.

The alarm was raised by Dr Santhosh after multiple cases of children being treated for diarrhoea and dehydration arrived in her clinic having consumed off-label packaged drinks labelled "ORS." As she recounted in interviews with media, "Even if a product carries the warning 'not ORS' ... people still think that it is an ORS solution because that's what the brand name suggests. It misleads people into choosing products that can actually worsen the diarrhoea in children and may even lead to deaths if timely medical intervention does not happen."

True ORS is a life-saving medical formulation recognised by the World Health Organization, composed of precise amounts of glucose, sodium chloride and potassium chloride. This specific balance enables the body to absorb water efficiently and reverse dehydration. By contrast, beverages with excessive sugar can draw water into the gut rather than into the bloodstream, worsening dehydration. As Dr Santhosh notes, "Any excess sugar will actually pull the water back into the gut and worsen the diarrhoea."

The regulatory journey was long and fraught with setbacks. Beginning eight years ago, Dr Santhosh took on major companies, regulatory hurdles and even professional isolation: "I was isolated, people would talk behind my back. Even my family at times thought whether it was worth it - these were big companies like Johnson & Johnson, Dr Reddy's that I was taking on." Her campaign included legal action, detailed reports on product composition, and appeals to both the state and union health ministries.

Finally, in October 2025, the FSSAI declared that any use of the term "ORS" in the trademark or branding of any beverage, even with qualifying disclaimers, constitutes a violation of the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006. The order came into immediate effect and directed removal of such branding from retail shelves.

The problem identified here has significant public-health implications. According to global data, diarrhoea remains among the leading causes of child mortality, especially in children under five. ORS has been the front-line defence against this for decades. By permitting sugar-laden beverages to masquerade as ORS, regulators and manufacturers inadvertently compromised this tool. Dr Santhosh emphasises: "ORS is a medical product that has saved millions of lives... Around 13 per cent of the deaths in children under the age of five years happen because of diarrhoea and ORS is an effective tool for preventing these deaths."

Going forward, the FSSAI's order represents not just a regulatory correction but also a moral statement about child-health priorities. It sends a message to manufacturers, parents and health professionals alike: branding cannot substitute efficacy. For parents, the implication is clear: When a child has diarrhoea, administer a medically approved ORS as advised, not a branded beverage.

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