The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has asked online retailers to remove all drinks and beverages sold as ‘health drinks’ from their platforms. This comes after the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPR) said that these drinks are misclassified and could harm children.
The FSSAI said that it received several reports of misclassified products being sold online. The products were mostly labelled as ‘dairy-based beverage mix’, ‘cereal-based beverage mix’, and ‘ malt-based beverage’ but were being sold as ‘health drink’ or ‘energy drink’.
“The FSSAI has clarified that the term ‘health drink’ is not defined or standardised anywhere under the Food Safety and Standards Act 2006 or the rules and regulations made thereunder,” the agency said in a statement.
According to the FSSAI, the misclassification of these products is not only confusing for consumers but also poses a serious health risk. The agency said that these drinks are not standardized and may contain harmful ingredients.
“It is also a violation of the FSSAI’s regulations as per Rule 10 of the FSSAI (Amendment) Act, 2016, which prohibits the sale of misclassified foods to consumers,” the agency added.
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The FSSAI has asked all online retailers to remove the products from their platforms and place them in the appropriate category. The agency said that this will help in enhancing clarity and transparency regarding the nature and functional properties of the products, and ensuring that consumers can make well-informed choices without encountering misleading information.
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