Government Requests That E-Commerce Sites Take Bournvita Out of the “Healthy Drinks” Section

New Delhi: The Ministry of Commerce and Industry has sent an advise to online retailers instructing them to take Bournvita and all other drinks out of the “health drinks” category on their platforms and portals.

“The ministry released a notification on April 10th, stating that the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR), a statutory body established under Section (3) of the Commission of Protection of Child Rights (CPCR) Act, 2005, had concluded its inquiry under Section 14 of the CRPC Act 2005 that there is no definition of a “health drink” under the FSS Act 2006, rules and regulations submitted by FSSAI and Mondelez India Food Pvt Ltd.

The NCPCR’s examination revealed that the Bournvita had sugar levels well beyond allowable limits, which led to the alert.

The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) was contacted earlier by the NCPCR to take action against firms that were marketing power supplements as “health drinks” while not adhering to safety regulations.

Notably, the regulatory agency states that it is against the law to project anything under the term “health drink,” as it is not specified in the nation’s food regulations. Earlier this month, the FSSAI also gave online retailers advice not to refer to beverages with dairy or malt as “health drinks.”

The Bournvita scandal began when a YouTuber attacked the powder supplement in his video, claiming that it contains hazardous colourants, excessive sugar, and cocoa solids, all of which might pose major health risks to children, including cancer.