Indian food regulator FSSAI has issued a sweeping new directive instructing all food and beverage companies to eliminate the use of the term “ORS” (Oral Rehydration Solution) from product names, trademarks, and packaging.  The order  issued on October 14, 2025  rescinds previous permissions granted in 2022 and 2024, which had allowed some companies to use “ORS” in drinks so long as they included a disclaimer stating the product was not a WHO-recommended formulation.

FSSAI made it clear that using “ORS” in beverages that do not meet the medical ORS standards is false, deceptive, ambiguous, and erroneous, violating labelling norms under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006.  The regulator has directed all food-business operators to comply immediately and warned that failure to abide will be treated as misbranding, punishable under Sections 52 and 53 of the Act. 

This move comes after persistent activism by Dr. Sivaranjani Santosh, a paediatrician from Hyderabad, who for eight years has campaigned against high-sugar, “electrolyte” drinks being mistakenly marketed as ORS  a practice she warned poses serious health risks, particularly in dehydration cases.  The FSSAI’s directive has been hailed by child-health experts as a major public-health win, clarifying that only medically approved WHO-style ORS formulations should use the term legitimately.

Legally, the policy has now also been backed by the Delhi High Court, which upheld the FSSAI’s ban, rejecting a challenge by a company that manufactured ORS-branded electrolyte drinks. The court emphasised the “serious public health considerations” behind the regulator’s action.  However, some earlier production has been permitted to run down, as the court clarified its order does not apply to new manufacturing  leaving questions over how quickly misleading products will actually be phased out.