Remove Bournvita from health drinks category: Govt tells e-commerce sites

The Ministry of Commerce and Industry has asked all e-commerce websites to remove drinks and beverages, including Bournvita, from the health drinks category on their portals.

“National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) after its inquiry under Section 14 of CRPC Act 2005 concluded that there is no ‘health drink’ defined under FSS Act 2006, rules and regulations submitted by FSSAI and Mondelez India Food Pvt Ltd,” the Ministry said in an order on April 10, 2024.

“All e-commerce companies/ portals are hereby advised to remove drinks, beverages, including Bournvita from the category of health drinks from their platforms,” the order said.

The order comes days after the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) had also advised e-commerce platforms to ensure that dairy-based beverage mixes, cereal-based beverage mixes, or malt-based beverage mixes like Bournvita are not available under the ‘health drinks’ or ‘energy drinks’ category.

The food safety regulator had iterated that ‘energy drinks’ is permitted to be used for carbonated and non-carbonated water-based flavoured drinks. Further, ‘heath drinks’ are not defined anywhere under the FSS Act 2006.

“This action will enhance clarity and transparency regarding the nature and functional properties of the products, allowing consumers to make informed choices without any misleading information,” FSSAI had said.

Social media influencer Revant Himatsingka, who goes by Foodpharmer on Instagram, had first flagged this issue in April 2023. Highlighting the high sugar content in Bournvita in a reel posted on Instagram, he had questioned its position in the market as a ‘health drink’.