E-commerce companies are being asked to "promptly rectify" the misclassification of items that are being advertised on their platforms as "energy drinks" or "health drinks" by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI). The statement stated that this remedial measure is required to guarantee openness and empower customers to make knowledgeable decisions.
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As per reports, the e-commerce companies are mistakenly classifying some milk, cereals, and malt-based beverages as energy or health drinks on their platforms, the food safety authorities have noted, leading to this decision.
The Food and Safety Authority of India (FSSAI) released a statement stating that it has seen customary food goods, such as beverage mixes made of dairy, cereal, or malt, marketed as "health" or "energy" drinks in online grocery stores.
The FSS Act 2006 and its subsequent rules and regulations do not define or standardise the term "health drink." According to the statement authority, the term "energy drink" refers only to products that are officially licenced under the Food Category System (FCS) codes 14.1.4.1 and 14.1.4.2, which relate to carbonated and non-carbonated water-based flavouring drinks. Caffeinated beverages are standardised under sub-regulation 2.10.6 (2) of the Food Product Standards and Food Additives Regulations 2011.
The Authority has requested All online retailers to "ensure appropriate categorisation" of food goods offered for sale on their platforms. This corrective action aims to improve transparency and clarity about the nature and functioning qualities of the items so that customers may make educated decisions without being presented with false information. Food items classified as proprietary employ standard ingredients but are not standardised under FSSAI requirements.