New Delhi: In a bid to curb the alarming sugar levels in Bournvita, which was found by National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR ) to have sugar levels, much above the acceptable limits. The Ministry of Commerce and Industry issued a directive to e-commerce platforms, instructing them to reclassify drinks and beverages, including Bournvita, removing them from the ‘health drinks’ category.
This move comes in response to findings from the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR), which highlighted concerns over the sugar content in Bournvita exceeding permissible limits.
The NCPCR, established under Section 3 of the Commission of Protection of Child Rights (CPCR) Act, 2005, conducted an inquiry as mandated by Section 14 of the CRPC Act 2005. The commission determined that the term ‘health drink’ is not defined under the Food Safety and Standards (FSS) Act, 2006, nor in the regulations submitted by FSSAI and Mondelez India Food Pvt Ltd.
Earlier, the NCPCR had urged the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) to take action against companies that were marketing power supplements as ‘health drinks’ without meeting safety standards and guidelines.
Highlighting the absence of a clear definition for ‘health drink’ in India’s food regulations, the FSSAI recently directed e-commerce platforms to refrain from labeling dairy-based or malt-based beverages as ‘health drinks’.
