JNTL, producer of ORS products under the ORSL brand, filed a petition on October 17 against the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India’s (FSSAI) recent ban on ‘ORS’ (oral rehydration salts) label usage.
The New Delhi court has since restrained enforcement of the ban against JNTL’s stock of ORS products, giving the firm a week to make representations on the case.
ORSL remains available on e-commerce sites such as Amazon and PharmEasy as of late October.
Paediatrician Dr Sivaranjani Santosh, who has campaigned for eight years to restrict non-compliant ORS products, urged authorities to ensure only WHO-recommended formulations are sold in pharmacies and supermarkets.
“The Delhi High Court has given only one week’s time for JNTL to give its representation to FSSAI, but that one week is done. The ball is in FSSAI’s court only! The matter is not subjudice anymore!” Dr Sivaranjani posted on X on October 26.
“We all have to demand that nothing but WHO recommended formula ORS should be available in the pharmacies ever irrespective of the label, and that no label even if the drink is sold in supermarkets should have ORS on it!”
WHO recommended formula for ORS
Under the WHO-UNICEF guidelines, a ORS must contain per litre:
• Sodium chloride – 2.6 g
• Potassium chloride – 1.5 g
• Trisodium citrate – 2.9 g
• Glucose, anhydrous – 13.5 g
ORS saga “a national shame”
Dr Sivaranjani slammed the FSSAI for allowing the stay order, tagging Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare in her October 23 X post:
“It’s a national shame that FSSAI has consented to the request by JNTL (the Indian subsidiary of Kenvue which is a spin off of Johnson and Johnson) for a stay order to dispose of its stock of high sugar ORSL!”
Dr Sivaranjani acknowledged that ORS is a simple solution that has saved millions of lives, particularly in countries such as India, where diarrheal diseases are a leading cause of mortality, especially among children.
However, consumption of non-compliant ORS drinks not only endangers public health but also exposes unsuspecting consumers to high-sugar beverages disguised as ORS.
A wave of social media criticism is rising alongside Dr Sivaranjani’s remarks, with netizens accusing authorities of prioritising corporate interests over consumer safety.
The debate has reignited scrutiny of India’s enforcement of food-labelling standards.
FSSAI’s stance and JNTL’s argument
Responding on October 24, FSSAI described the allegations as a “misrepresentation of facts”.
“FSSAI has NOT permitted or consented to the sale/disposal of ORSL,” the food authority stated on Facebook.
It stressed that claims circulating online were “wrong” and urged readers to verify the court’s interim order – case W.P.(C) 16217/2025 – on the Delhi High Court’s official website.
The clarification indicates that FSSAI has not reversed its October 14 ban but will review JNTL’s petition as directed by the court.
According to reports from NDTV and The Indian Express, the petition described the ban as “arbitrary”, “unreasonable”, and “issued in haste”.
JNTL expressed concern over potential financial losses, having produced large quantities based on the 2022 and 2024 FSSAI memos that allowed the use of “ORS” with disclaimers.
This permission was rescinded by the FSSAI on October 14 with immediate effect.
FSSAI did not release any statement regarding this issue prior to the October 14 order.
The FSSAI ban on non-compliant ORS labels
FSSAI clarified that using ‘ORS’ on non-WHO-recommended formulas was “misleading to consumers by way of false, deceptive, ambiguous, and erroneous names/label declarations”.
“Those [July 2022 and February 2024] orders had permitted the use of the term ‘ORS’ on food labels as part of the trademark with the prefix or suffix in the product name, subject to the declaration/warning: ‘The product is NOT an ORS formula as recommended by WHO,” said FSSAI Director Sweety Behera.
Behera stated that any use of “ORS” in food product names, including trademarks or modified forms, violates the Food Safety and Standards Act.
“It is hereby clarified that, upon further review, the use of the term ‘ORS’ in the trademarked name or in the naming of any food product otherwise – whether fruit-based, non-carbonated, or ready-to-drink beverages – even when accompanied by a prefix or suffix, constitutes a violation of the provisions of the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 and the regulations made thereunder.”
The move marks the regulator’s latest step to curb misleading labelling in the food and beverage sector.
