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The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has issued notices to several beverage brands for alleged misbranding and making misleading claims by marketing their products as "energy drinks," saying no such standard has been notified under the country's food safety regulations.
In a post on X, FSSAI said it had "issued notices to several beverage brands claiming to be 'energy drinks' for misbranding and misleading claims." The food regulator named products including Hell Energy Drink, Adrenaline Rush Energy Drink, Red Bull Energy Drink and Sting Energy Drink in the notices shared through a series of graphics accompanying the post. According to FSSAI, "FSSAI has not notified any standard for 'Energy Drink' or similar products." The regulator further clarified that the Food Category System under the FSS Regulations, 2011 "is not intended for product naming or labelling purposes." FSSAI also said food companies cannot make functional or therapeutic claims related to boosting energy, improving focus or addressing general weakness unless permitted under the law. For products such as Hell Energy Drink and Adrenaline Rush Energy Drink, the regulator said claims relating to "boosting energy," "enhancing focus," and "aiding general weakness" are "not permissible for food products under the FSS Act 2006 and the Rules and Regulations made thereunder." In the case of Red Bull Energy Drink, FSSAI objected to claims including "vitalizes body and mind," "enhancing focus," "boost energy levels," and "aid in general weakness," saying such functional or therapeutic claims are not allowed for food products. For Sting Energy Drink, the regulator similarly said claims such as "stimulates mind energizes body," "enhancing focus," "boost energy levels," and "aid in general weakness" are not permissible under the Food Safety and Standards Act and related regulations. The action comes as FSSAI steps up scrutiny of product branding and labelling practices to ensure that food products do not make claims that could mislead consumers or imply regulatory recognition where none exists. (ANI)
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