FSSAI asks e-commerce platforms to ensure appropriate categorization of energy drinks

The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has asked all e-commerce Food Business Operators (FBOs) to ensure appropriate categorization of food products being sold on their websites, a press release from the health ministry said.

The food safety regulator issued the directive following the discovery of instances where food products licensed as ‘Proprietary Food’ were being sold on e-commerce platforms under misleading categories such as ‘Health Drink’ or ‘Energy Drink,’ despite belonging to categories like dairy-based beverage mix, cereal-based beverage mix, or malt-based beverage.

The FSSAI clarified that the term ‘Health Drink’ is not defined or standardised anywhere under the FSS Act 2006 or rules/regulations made thereunder.

It advised all e-commerce FBOs to rectify this misclassification by removing or de-linking such drinks or beverages from the category of ‘Health Drinks/ Energy Drinks’ on their websites and place such products in the appropriate category as prescribed by law.

Proprietary Foods are items of food that are not standardized in Food Safety and Standards (Food Product Standards and Food Additives) Regulations and Food Safety and Standards (Health Supplements, Nutraceuticals, Food for Special Dietary Use, Food for Special Medical Purpose, Functional Food, and Novel Food) Regulations but use standardized ingredients.

(Inputs from ANI)