The court order stipulates that FSSAI must hear the company's representation and consider its contentions before enforcing the ban against the petitioner.
Published Oct 24, 2025 | 3:33 PM ⚊ Updated Oct 24, 2025 | 3:33 PM
ORS vs ORSL. (Wikimedia Commons)
Synopsis: The clarification follows the Delhi High Court’s decision to grant interim protection to JNTL Consumer Health (India), the manufacturer of ORSL. Justice Sachin Datta’s order temporarily stays the implementation of FSSAI’s directives dated 14 and 15 October 2025, which had barred the use of “ORS” in food and beverage product names.
The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has issued a strong clarification on Thursday, 23 October, dismissing social media claims that it has permitted the disposal or sale of ORSL, a popular hydration drink that has become the centre of a heated regulatory and public health debate.
“It is being WRONGLY claimed in some social media posts that FSSAI has ‘permitted the disposal or sale of ORSL.’ It is also being WRONGLY claimed that FSSAI has given consent for the same,” the food safety regulator stated, directing the public to review the court order available on court website.
MISREPRESENTATION OF FACTS: FSSAI has NOT permitted or consented to the sale/disposal of ORSL. pic.twitter.com/lindplhJ23
— FSSAI (@fssaiindia) October 23, 2025
The clarification follows the Delhi High Court’s decision to grant interim protection to JNTL Consumer Health (India), the manufacturer of ORSL. Justice Sachin Datta’s order temporarily stays the implementation of FSSAI’s directives dated 14 and 15 October 2025, which had barred the use of “ORS” in food and beverage product names.
The court order stipulates that FSSAI must hear the company’s representation and consider its contentions before enforcing the ban against the petitioner.
“It is further agreed that till the said representation is decided in accordance with law and after affording an opportunity of hearing to the petitioner, and duly taking into account the contentions raised in the present petition, the impugned order dated 14.10.2025 and 15.10.2025 shall not be given effect to, qua the petitioner,” the order reads.
The interim relief allows JNTL to continue selling its existing stock, reportedly worth approximately ₹180 crore. However, production of new high-sugar variants under the ORSL label remains halted.
The regulatory action stems from years of campaigning by healthcare professionals, particularly Dr. Sivaranjani Santosh, a Hyderabad-based paediatrician who has been fighting to prohibit the use of the term “ORS” in commercial food and beverage products.
Dr. Sivaranjani argues that products like ORSL are misleadingly marketed under medical-sounding names while being high in sugar and nutritionally different from the World Health Organisation’s genuine Oral Rehydration Solution—a life-saving formulation used to treat dehydration during diarrhoea and vomiting.
Following the court’s interim order, Dr. Sivaranjani issued an emotional public appeal, calling on citizens to support the cause. “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 wrote.
The paediatrician, who is also a first aid trainer and social activist, alleged that she has faced online threats and that companies are attempting to influence media coverage through legal notices.
FSSAI’s 15 October clarification had categorically barred the use of “ORS” in any food or beverage label, permitting the term only for genuine WHO-formula products. The move was initially celebrated by health advocates as “a people’s victory” after years of petitioning and awareness campaigns.
However, JNTL challenged the directive, arguing that FSSAI’s sudden withdrawal of earlier permissions was made without prior notice, consultation, or hearing. The company contended that the ban affected its trademark rights and existing inventory.
While the High Court’s interim protection offers temporary reprieve to JNTL, public health advocates maintain that FSSAI must act decisively to prevent misleading branding that could endanger children’s health.
Dr. Sivaranjani’s sustained campaign from regulatory petitions to public awareness drives has sparked a national conversation on food labelling, consumer safety, and corporate accountability in India’s food and beverage sector.
“This is not about brands or business. It’s about protecting lives,” Dr. Sivaranjani emphasized.
(Edited by Sumavarsha)
