The Ministry of Commerce and Industry has asked all e-commerce websites to remove all drinks containing Bornvita from the healthy drinks category on their platforms.
“The National Commission for Protection of Child Rights was established under section (3) of the Commission for Protection of Child Rights (CPCR) Act, 2005 after investigation under section 14 of the Commission for Protection of Child Rights (CPCR) Act, 2005. “Healthy drinks are defined under the FSS Act, 2006, the rules and regulations submitted by the FSS Al and Mondelez India Food Pvt Ltd,” the ministry said in a notification.
In view of the above, all e-commerce companies/portals are advised to remove beverages/beverages containing Bornvita from the category of 'Healthy Drinks' from their sites/platforms, said the notification dated April 10. It has been stated.
Earlier this month, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) directed all e-commerce companies not to label dairy-based, cereal-based or malt-based drinks as 'health drinks' or 'energy drinks'. This is because the term “health drink” is not defined in the country's food law, which states that “energy drink” specifically refers to flavored water-based beverages, both carbonated and non-carbonated. is.
FSSAI has warned e-commerce sites that using incorrect terminology can mislead consumers. It has therefore advised all e-commerce food business operators (FBOs) to rectify such beverages by removing or delinking them from the 'Health Drinks/Energy Drinks' category.
FSSAI has clarified that the term 'health drink' is not defined or standardized under the FSS Act, 2006 or its rules and regulations governing the food industry. Additionally, the term “energy drink” is only permitted to be used for products such as carbonated and non-carbonated water-based flavored drinks.
“This corrective action aims to increase clarity and transparency regarding the nature and functional characteristics of products and to enable consumers to make informed choices without encountering misleading information. ” the regulator added.
According to market research, the energy drinks and sports drinks market size in India is currently valued at $4.7 billion and is expected to grow at a CAGR of 5.71% by 2028.
