Govt instructs e-commerce: Exclude Bourn Vita from 'Healthy Drinks' category
Commerce Ministry directs e-commerce sites to remove drinks like Bourn Vita from health drink category on platforms, expanding scope beyond Bourn Vita
Sumit Rawat
The Ministry of Commerce and Industry has instructed all e-commerce platforms to remove drinks like Bournvita from the health drink category.
A notification cited the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights, highlighting the absence of a defined "Health Drink" under the FSS Act 2006.
Earlier, the FSSAI advised against labeling dairy-based, cereal-based, or malt-based beverages as health drinks, emphasizing the lack of definition in food laws. Incorrect labeling could mislead consumers, thus, e-commerce sites are urged to rectify categories.
The FSSAI clarified that 'Health Drink' isn't standardized under the FSS Act 2006, and 'Energy Drink' applies to flavored water-based drinks only. This corrective action aims to ensure transparency for informed consumer choices.
Market research projects growth in the Indian energy and sports drink market to $4.7 billion with a 5.71% CAGR by 2028.
