According to an IANS report, the Ministry of Commerce and Industry has advised e-commerce companies to remove all beverages containing Bornvita from the 'health drinks' category on their portals and platforms.
The ministry's notification dated April 10 states, “The National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) is a statutory body established after investigation under Section (3) of the Commission for Protection of Child Rights (CPCR) Act, 2005. ” is stated. Section 14 of the CRPC Act, 2005 concluded that there is no “health drink” as defined under the FSS Act, 2006, the rules and regulations submitted by FSSAI and Mondelez India Food Pvt Ltd.
This advisory was based on an NCPCR study that found sugar levels well above acceptable limits for Bournvita.
Earlier, the NCPCR had asked the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India to take action against companies promoting power supplements as 'health drinks' without meeting safety norms and standards.
The country's food laws do not include a definition of a “health drink,” according to regulators. Therefore, projecting anything in such a way is against the rules. E-commerce portals were directed by FSSAI earlier this month not to label diary-based or malt-based drinks as 'health drinks'.
A video by a YouTuber claims that Bornvita contains excess sugar, cocoa solids, and harmful colorants, which can lead to serious health problems including cancer in children. Controversy arose over its “unhealthy” nature.
