The Aryavarth Express
Agency (New Delhi): The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has instructed e-commerce food businesses to ensure appropriate categorization of products sold on their websites. FSSAI found instances of proprietary food items licensed as beverage mixes being incorrectly listed under ‘Health Drink’ or ‘Energy Drink’ categories, which are not defined terms under food laws. E-commerce players have been advised to promptly rectify this by removing such products from misleading categories and placing them under proper legally permitted categories to avoid misinformation and enable informed consumer choices.
FSSAI has observed cases where food products licensed under the ‘Proprietary Food’ category, which typically includes items like dairy-based, cereal-based, or malt-based beverage mixes, are being incorrectly listed on e-commerce websites under categories such as ‘Health Drink’ or ‘Energy Drink’.
The authority has clarified that the term ‘Health Drink’ is not defined or standardized under the existing food safety laws in India. Similarly, the term ‘Energy Drink’ is only permitted for products licensed under specific food categories related to carbonated and non-carbonated water-based flavored drinks, as per the relevant regulations.
To enhance clarity and transparency for consumers, FSSAI has directed all e-commerce FBOs to promptly rectify this misclassification. They have been instructed to remove or delink such beverage products from the ‘Health Drink’ or ‘Energy Drink’ categories on their websites and place them in the appropriate categories as provided under the current laws and regulations.