The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has said no brand can label a product as Oral Rehydration Salts (ORS), unless the product has been approved by the World Health Organization (WHO).
The directive was issued by the FSSAI on Tuesday.
What Is ORS?
According to UNICEF (United Nations Children's Fund), ORS is a mixture of salt and sugar that is dissolved in clean water to treat dehydration caused by severe diarrhoea, heat stroke, or any other illnesses that result in loss of fluid.
READ: How To Make ORS At Home: Easy, Affordable And Perfect For Beating Dehydration
It is a highly effective treatment for childhood diarrhoea. American health media website Healthline says that in general, ORS should only be used when prescribed by a doctor.
When used improperly, the solution can lead to salt toxicity.
Previous Orders Allowed ORS To Be Added To Brand Name
Previous orders of the Centre, dated July 14, 2022, and February 2, 2024, allowed the word "ORS" to be added to the brand name as a prefix or suffix.
Until now, the word "ORS" was being used in the brand names of products such as fruit-based drinks, non-carbonated drinks, and ready-to-drink beverages, etc.
READ: Which Water Should You Really Be Drinking Every Day? Plain, Electrolyte, Salt Or Detox?
This provision was allowed provided the product carried the warning "The product is not an ORS formula as recommended by the WHO."
But these old orders have now been rescinded.
In a post on Instagram, a paediatrician, Dr Sivaranjani Santosh, praised the Centre's move, saying, "No one can use ORS on their label unless it is a WHO-recommended formula, and no one can sell it right from today."
Dr Santosh has been campaigning against mislabelled ORS brands. "Thanks to each and every parent, doctor, paediatrician, child, teacher, journalist, advocate, anchor, celebrity, podcaster, influencer, educator, and everyone who stood by me for this cause!" she added.
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