In a major win for child health and consumer safety, an 8 year-long campaign led by a paediatrician in Hyderabad has reached a turning point. On Wednesday, FSSAI issued a directive banning the use of the term ‘Oral Rehydration Salts’ (ORS) on beverage products.
Senior paediatrician Dr. Sivaranjani Santosh has fought against manufacturers selling their drinks as ORS. She highlights an important issue: ORS is a specific drug formulation that has a precise mix of salts and glucose (dextrose) to guarantee quick fluid absorption.
FSSAI bans ‘ORS’ Labels
The situation reached a critical point after an incident in Madhya Pradesh, where several children died after consuming contaminated cough syrup. “We have won this battle, and it’s a big victory for public health because the ORS label must reserved solely for WHO-compliant formulas. This strong regulatory action will protect children. We asked regulatory bodies, including CDSCO, FSSAI, and MOHFW, if they want to see similar tragedies involving ORS,” she said.
What’s the problem with ORS claims?
For nearly a decade, the paediatrician seen children with worsening diarrhoea after drinking products labeled as ORS from medical stores. “ORS is a WHO-recommended treatment that needs approval from CDSCO, the country’s drug regulatory body. The ORS-labeled products given to children have high sugar content, which makes their diarrhoea worse.
Such sugary drinks not given to children during diarrhoea. You are just replacing a life-saving solution with a sweetened drink at a critical time,” Dr. Santosh explains. A few years ago, the FSSAI issued directives that allowed some companies to keep using the ORS label, as long as they included a disclaimer.
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