The Ministry of Commerce and Industry has asked all e-commerce websites to remove all drinks/beverages, including bournvita, from the category of health drink on their platforms.
"National Commission for Protection of Child Rights, a statutory body constituted under section (3) of the commission for Protection of Child Rights (CPCR) Act, 2005 after its inquiry under Section 14 of CPCR Act, 2005, concluded that there is no "Health Drink defined under FSS Act 2006, Rules and regulations as submitted by FSSAl and Mondelez India Food Pvt Ltd," the ministry said a notification.
In view of the above, all e-commerce companies/portals are hereby advised to remove drink/beverages, including bournvita from the category of "Health Drinks" from their sites/platforms, the notification dated April 10 said.
Earlier this month, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) instructed all e-commerce companies not to label dairy-based, cereal-based, or malt-based beverages as 'health drink' or 'energy drink'. This is because the term 'health drink' is not defined in the country's food laws, and 'energy drink' refers specifically to flavored water-based drinks, both carbonated and non-carbonated, under the laws.
The FSSAI cautioned the e-commerce sites that using incorrect terms can mislead consumers. Therefore, it advised all e-commerce Food Business Operators (FBOs) to rectify by removing or delinking such drinks or beverages from the 'Health Drinks/Energy Drinks' categories.
The FSSAI clarified that the term 'Health Drink' is not defined or standardised under the FSS Act 2006 or its rules and regulations governing the food industry. Additionally, the term 'Energy Drinks' is only permitted for use on products like carbonated and non-carbonated water-based flavored drinks.
"This corrective action aims to enhance clarity and transparency regarding the nature and functional properties of the products, ensuring that consumers can make well-informed choices without encountering misleading information, " the regulatory body added.
According to a market study, the Indian energy drink and sports drink market size at present stands at $4.7 billion and is expected to grow at 5.71 percent CAGR by 2028.