Why in news?

Following a Hyderabad-based paediatrician’s campaign, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has barred food companies from using the term ‘Oral Rehydration Salts’ (ORS) on products that do not meet World Health Organisation (WHO) formulation standards.

The recent order also revokes all previous permissions allowing brands to use ‘ORS’ with disclaimers. This move targets sugar-rich beverages falsely marketed as ORS, ensuring that only scientifically compliant rehydration products can carry the label.

What’s in Today’s Article?

• Oral Rehydration Salts (ORS)
• FSSAI’s Clarification on Misleading Labelling
• Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006: Ensuring Safe and Wholesome Food in India

Oral Rehydration Salts

• Oral Rehydration Salts (ORS) is a scientifically formulated mixture of electrolytes and glucose designed to prevent and treat dehydration, especially from diarrhoea, vomiting, or heat-related illness.
• It helps restore the body’s lost fluids and salts effectively.
• Composition (WHO-Recommended Formula):
  • According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), one litre of ORS solution should contain:
    • Sodium chloride: 2.6 g
    • Potassium chloride: 1.5 g
    • Sodium citrate: 2.9 g
    • Dextrose (anhydrous glucose): 13.5 g
    • Total osmolarity: 245 mOsm/L
  • This precise ratio enables optimal absorption of water and electrolytes through the intestines.
• Mechanism
  • ORS works by utilizing glucose-mediated sodium absorption in the intestinal wall, which helps draw water back into the bloodstream, quickly reversing dehydration.
• Uses
  • Treatment of dehydration caused by diarrhoea, cholera, and vomiting.
  • Used in heat exhaustion or severe fluid loss from illness or exertion.
  • Essential in child healthcare programs and emergency relief operations worldwide.
• Advantages
  • Low-cost, easy-to-administer, and life-saving.
  • Can be prepared and used safely at home.
  • Recommended by WHO and UNICEF as the first-line treatment for dehydration.

FSSAI’s Clarification on Misleading Labelling

• Recently, FSSAI affirmed that using ‘ORS’ in any product name — including fruit-based or ready-to-drink beverages — violates the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006.
• It said such labelling “misleads consumers” through false and deceptive claims and breaches multiple provisions under food labelling regulations.
• Background: A Doctor’s Decade-Long Campaign for Consumer Safety
  • The order follows a ten-year campaign by Hyderabad-based paediatrician Dr. Sivaranjani Santosh, who exposed misleading marketing of sugary drinks sold as ORS.
  • In 2022, she filed a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) before the Telangana High Court, challenging these deceptive practices for not meeting WHO-prescribed electrolyte and glucose standards.

Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006: Ensuring Safe and Wholesome Food in India

• The Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 is a comprehensive law that consolidated all existing food-related legislations in India and established the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI).
• Its primary goal is to ensure that all food available in the country is safe, hygienic, and of good quality, based on scientific standards governing manufacturing, storage, distribution, sale, and import.
• Key Functions and Provisions
  • Consolidation of Food Laws - The Act merged multiple food regulations under one umbrella, creating a uniform framework for food safety management across the country.
  • Establishment of FSSAI - It created the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) as a statutory body to: Set and enforce food standards; Oversee licensing and registration of food businesses; Ensure scientific development in food safety regulation.
  • Single Point of Control - The Act replaced India’s multi-departmental food regulation system with a single-line authority, empowering FSSAI and state food safety authorities for enforcement and oversight.
  • Standard Setting - FSSAI sets science-based standards for: Additives, contaminants, and pesticide residues; Nutritional requirements and safety limits; Labelling, packaging, and hygiene norms.
  • Licensing and Registration - All food business operators (FBOs) must be licensed or registered under FSSAI based on their scale and type of operation to ensure traceability and accountability.
  • Enforcement Mechanisms - The Act provides FSSAI and state authorities with powers to: Inspect, sample, and test food items; Seize and recall unsafe products; Impose penalties and prosecute violators.
  • Consumer Protection - The law safeguards consumers through: Compensation for injury or death caused by unsafe food; Penalties for misleading advertisements or adulteration.
• Enforcement and Penalties
  • Violations can lead to fines, imprisonment, license suspension, or product confiscation.
  • A dedicated adjudication and appeals system, including a Food Safety Appellate Tribunal, handles disputes and appeals efficiently.