Eight months after Bournvita row, Cadbury slashes added sugar by nearly 15%; 'Food Pharmer' says 'India wins'

Cadbury India has reduced the added sugar content in its popular Bournvita health drink by around 15 per cent. This comes amidst growing concerns and backlash about the drink's high sugar content, despite being marketed as a health supplement for children.

Previously, Bournvita contained 37.4 grams of added sugar per 100 grams of powder. The revised formula has a reduced sugar content of 32.2 grams per 100 grams. This reduction translates to a significant 14.4 per cent decrease in added sugar.

This move comes eight months after a video by social media activist Revant Himatsingka highlighting the drink's high sugar content went viral, sparking widespread criticism and prompting legal action from both individuals and authorities.

Bournvita found itself in controversy when influencer Revant Himatsingka aka 'Food Pharmer' accused Cadbury of making false claims about the health benefits of Bournvita. Himatsingka alleged that despite being labeled as a health drink, over half of the Bournvita packet consists of sugar.

In a video on X, he had pointed out that per 100 grams, the product contains 50 grams of sugar. However, Himatsingka had to remove the video after receiving a notice from Cadbury, and subsequently, his X account was suspended.

Cadbury India, the manufacturer of Bournvita, initially responded by sending Himatsingka a legal notice, challenging the accuracy of his claims and calling his video "unscientific." However, the company received counter-support from a leading Indian nutrition body consisting of eight doctors and nutritionists who validated Himatsingka's video as factually accurate.

In April, Mondelez responded to Business Today by saying that the presenter's views were not founded on science and were "designed to drive anxiety and fear" among its customers by misrepresenting facts and "omitting factually correct information" in order to sensationalise his point of view. "The video has created panic and anxiety and questions the trust that consumers have bestowed on brands like Bournvita," the company stated in a statement.

The controversy surrounding Bournvita's sugar content also caught the attention of Indian authorities. The National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) issued a legal notice to Cadbury India in June 2023, demanding the withdrawal of all "misleading" advertisements and packaging related to Bournvita and requesting a detailed explanation for the drink's high sugar content.

The NCPCR received a complaint asserting that Bournvita, promoted as a health powder or drink, contains a substantial amount of sugar and substances potentially detrimental to children's health. This request came in the form of a letter addressed to the President of Mondelez International India.

Meanwhile, Revant Himatsingka on Saturday celebrated the reduction in Bournvita's sugar content as a victory for consumer advocacy and the power of social media. He emphasised that this case sets a precedent and encourages others to be more mindful of food labels and challenge misleading marketing tactics.

"INDIA WINS! Bournvita FINALLY reduces it’s SUGAR after all the backlash on social media! 8 months ago, I made a video highlighting Bournvita’s high sugar content which went VIRAL! ," he wrote on X.

"This is probably the FIRST time in HISTORY that a social media video has led to a food giant reducing their sugar content!  If one video can result in a 15% reduction in added sugar, imagine what we can achieve if all of us start reading food labels before we buy anything!," he further added.

While the reduced sugar content in Bournvita is a positive step, Himatsingka believes it's just the beginning of a larger food revolution in India, he said in a post on X. He urged consumers to remain vigilant and advocated for stricter regulations on the food industry to ensure transparency and prioritize public health.

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