The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has taken action against six prominent beverage companies, including Red Bull and PepsiCo India, for allegedly misbranding their products and making misleading claims. The regulatory body highlighted that it has not established any official standard for products marketed as "energy drinks" or similar.
Notices have been dispatched to Red Bull Energy Drink, PepsiCo's Adrenaline Rush Energy Drink, Reliance Consumer Products' Campa Energy Drink-Gold Boost, Sting Energy Drink, Hell Energy, and Coca-Cola-backed Monster Energy. The FSSAI's objection centers on these brands utilizing the descriptor "energy drink" on their product branding and labeling without an approved standard.
Functional Claims Under Scrutiny
Beyond the lack of a defined standard, the FSSAI also emphasized that food products are not permitted to carry functional or therapeutic benefit claims under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006. Claims such as "vitalizes body and mind," "enhancing focus," "boost energy levels," or "aid in general weakness" are specifically disallowed for food products.
This enforcement action is part of a broader regulatory push by the FSSAI to combat misbranding, misleading claims, and deceptive advertisements across the food industry. The regulator has been actively informing consumers about these notices through social media platforms, including X and Instagram, as part of its ongoing food safety initiatives.
Wider Crackdown on Food Business Operators
In recent months, the FSSAI's crackdown has extended to over 14 other food business operators. These cases have addressed a range of issues, from deceptive trade names and uncertified organic tags to front-of-pack claims that did not align with ingredient declarations.
- SAJ Food Products was flagged for claims related to its Eat Fit Digestive Biscuits.
- Pluckk faced scrutiny over a "No Added Sugar" claim on mango fruit juice.
- Marico was questioned regarding labels like "Heart Pro."
- The Health Factory received notices for "Zero Maida" claims.
- Ferrero India was cited for the "Rich in Milk Solids" claim on Kinder Joy.
- Plan B was noted for vegan endorsement requirements.
- Organic Wisdom, Two Brothers Organic Farms, and World of Organic were targeted for using organic branding without proper certifications.
- Several brands using the word "Healthy" in ways that created unsubstantiated health impressions were also addressed.
- MasterChow Foods was cited for claims such as "100% Natural" and "Freshly Made."
Additionally, the FSSAI has issued notices in other food safety matters, including requiring an Action Taken Report from Nestle India regarding allegations of contaminants in Maggi noodles, addressing hygiene deficiencies at a KFC outlet, and examining inventory management practices at Bikanervala.
Affected brands are typically given a short window, often seven days, to provide scientific validation for their claims or to modify their packaging. This reflects a significant regulatory drive demanding scientific evidence for all food claims and prohibiting terms like "100% Pure" or "100% Natural" unless they can be fully substantiated.