Relevance (UPSC): GS-II Governance (Food regulation, Consumer protection) | GS-III Health

A string of paediatric emergencies—children given tetra-pack “ORS drinks” yet arriving in shock—has pushed regulators to act. India’s food authority has banned all beverages from using the term ORS in brand names and withdrawn an earlier leeway that allowed the term with disclaimers. The move follows an eight-year public-health campaign by Dr Sivaranjini Santhosh, who documented how sweetened, flavoured “ORS” products misled caregivers and worsened diarrhoea.

What ORS Really Is

• Oral Rehydration Solution (ORS) is a medical formulation with a fixed ratio of glucose, sodium, potassium, and base (low-osmolarity ORS as per WHO/ICMR).
• Its chemistry pulls water back into the body via glucose–sodium co-transport.
• Excess sugar or wrong salt balance can aggravate diarrhoea.

What the Order Fixes

• Under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, FSSAI has barred the word “ORS” in names/labels of packaged drinks that are not the approved formulation—treating such usage as misbranding.
• This clarifies the long-standing confusion between drugs (overseen by CDSCO) and foods (overseen by FSSAI) and protects families from deceptive marketing.

Why It Matters for India

• Diarrhoea remains a leading killer in under-fives; ORS + zinc under the National Health Mission saves lives.
• Mislabelled beverages delay care, drain household budgets, and can tip children into life-threatening dehydration.

Practical Cues for Caregivers

• For diarrhoea: use pharmacy-grade ORS sachets or safe home mix (1 litre clean water + 6 level teaspoons sugar + ½ level teaspoon salt).
• Avoid flavoured “energy/rehydration” drinks for infants and young children.
• Seek prompt medical help for persistent vomiting, blood in stool, or lethargy.

Key Terms

• Oral Rehydration Solution (ORS): medical solution for dehydration.
• Low-osmolarity ORS: WHO-recommended reduced-salt ORS formula.
• FSSAI: Food Safety and Standards Authority of India.
• Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006: regulates food safety and labelling.
• CDSCO: Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation.
• Misbranding: misleading product labelling.

Exam Hook

Governance angle: labelling law + clinical science + citizen advocacy prevent harm; connect FSSAI’s order to child-health programmes (ORS–zinc through ASHAs/IMNCI).

UPSC Prelims Practice

Which statements are correct?

1. FSSAI regulates food labelling under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006.
2. ORS is an energy drink with variable sugar content.
3. WHO-recommended ORS relies on glucose–sodium co-transport.

Answer: 1 and 3 only.

One-line wrap: Protect the name, save the child—ORS is medicine, not a sugary drink.