Hyderabad: The controversy over the continued sale of ORS-labelled sugary drinks even after the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) banned their misuse earlier this month continues to stir debate. Following a stay by the Delhi High Court on the FSSAI order, reports suggest that ORS-like beverages are still being sold in the market.
Dr Sivaranjani Santosh, a city-based paediatrician who has been at the forefront of the campaign to ban sugary drinks mislabbed as ORSL, criticised the regulatory body’s inaction. “The FSSAI cannot hide behind the Delhi High Court’s stay order. All the sugary syrups are openly available for sale,” she said.
Dr Santosh added that she continued to receive daily pictures of ORSL being sold across the city. “The ball is in FSSAI’s court. The Delhi High Court’s stay was only for a week from October 17. JNTL Consumer Health was to submit its representation, and FSSAI had to make a decision. Yet, there has been no action,” she said.
She accused the regulator of failing to enforce its own orders. “Once the regulatory body writes that it is safe, it is assumed safe. In every state, ORSL is being sold under the name of some fruit-based drink. Companies are using this delay to sell off their remaining stock to unsuspecting parents,” she alleged.
Dr Santosh called for a public boycott of such companies and pharmacies selling high-sugar syrups. “If our children are drinking these when they are already hydrated, it is unsafe. Schools must also ensure that only WHO-recommended ORS or plain water is available to students,” she said.
Deccan Chronicle approached the state FSSAI officer for a response but received no comment.
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