FSSAI’s clarification had barred the use of “ORS” in any food or beverage label, permitting it only for genuine WHO-formula products.
Published Oct 19, 2025 | 11:24 AM ⚊ Updated Oct 19, 2025 | 11:24 AM
Dr Sivaranjani Santosh. Credit: x.com/dr_sivaranjani
Synopsis: The Delhi High Court granted JNTL Consumer Health interim relief to sell ₹180 crore worth of ORSL stock after FSSAI banned “ORS” in beverage branding. Dr Sivaranjani Santosh, a pediatrician, continues her eight-year fight against misleading high-sugar drinks, urging FSSAI to enforce the ban strictly to protect children’s health, sparking a national debate on food labeling and corporate accountability.
The regulatory battle over the use of the term “ORS” in beverage branding has taken a new turn, with the Delhi High Court granting interim protection to JNTL Consumer Health (India), the maker of the popular hydration drink ORSL.
However, Hyderabad-based paediatrician Dr Sivaranjani Santosh, who had been fighting to prohibit the use of the term “ORS” in food and beverage product names, renewed her public appeal to the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) to enforce its recent prohibition strictly.
The high court’s interim order came after JNTL challenged FSSAI’s sudden withdrawal of earlier permissions that allowed the use of “ORS” with prefixes or suffixes in product trademarks. JNTL argued that the move was made without prior notice, consultation, or hearing, and that it affected its existing stock worth around ₹180 crore.
The court granted temporary relief, allowing the company to continue selling its existing stock until FSSAI hears the matter. However, production of new high-sugar variants under the ORSL label remains halted.
For Dr Sivaranjani Santosh, a senior paediatrician, first aid trainer, and social activist, this marked another chapter in an eight-year fight to protect children and families from misleading products sold under medical-sounding names.
She was among the first to raise the alarm about the misuse of the term “ORS”, arguing that several commercial beverages marketed under similar labels were high in sugar and nutritionally different from the World Health Organisation (WHO)-recommended Oral Rehydration Solution, a life-saving formulation used to treat dehydration during diarrhoea and vomiting.
In an emotional post following the court order, Dr Sivaranjani said, “The long battle we have won! ORSL cannot produce new high-sugar ORSL and sell, but it wants to clear out its existing ₹180 crore stock. India, please stand with me! People’s power has to win against corporate lobbying.”
She also alleged that companies were attempting to influence media coverage and that she had received online threats after speaking out. “They are even reaching out to the media and threatening them with legal notices,” she said, urging citizens to amplify awareness and pressure regulators to act swiftly.
The FSSAI’s 15 October clarification had barred the use of “ORS” in any food or beverage label, permitting it only for genuine WHO-formula products. The move followed years of campaigning by doctors and health advocates, including Dr Sivaranjani, who previously celebrated it as “a people’s victory.”
While the High Court’s interim protection offers temporary relief to JNTL, public health advocates maintain that the FSSAI must act decisively to prevent misleading branding that could endanger children’s health.
Dr Sivaranjani’s sustained campaign, from petitions to public awareness drives, has sparked a national debate on food labelling, consumer safety, and corporate accountability.
As she put it: “This is not about brands or business. It’s about protecting lives.”
(Edited by Amit Vasudev)
