Hyderabad paediatrician launches petition over misleading electrolyte drink branding

Hyderabad: After resigning from the Indian Academy of Paediatrics (IAP), city-based paediatrician Dr Sivaranjani Santosh has launched an online petition raising concerns over the marketing of sugar-based drinks that resemble oral rehydration salts (ORS), a medically recommended electrolyte solution used to treat dehydration.Titled ‘Clear Communication for Electrolyte Drinks: Protect Consumers in Pharmacies', the petition hosted on change.org seeks public support to urge the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) and the Union health ministry to introduce stricter regulations against misleading branding by pharma companies.Dr Sivaranjani emphasised that the issue is not about the safety of sugar-based drinks, but how they are presented to consumers. She warned that branding practices using names similar to ORS, such as "ORSL" or its rebranded variants, can create confusion, particularly in high-pressure situations like medical emergencies. "Parents often rely on familiar labels and visual cues while purchasing from pharmacies. Such branding may lead them to mistakenly use these drinks as substitutes for ORS, which can be harmful in cases of dehydration," she added.The petition also highlighted that such marketing strategies risk undermining public health efforts by blurring the distinction between medically approved ORS and commercial beverages.The move comes amid ongoing controversy over rebranded electrolyte drinks and follows regulatory action by the FSSAI, which earlier barred the use of the ‘ORS' label on beverages that do not meet World Health Organisation (WHO) standards.Dr Sivaranjani recently resigned from IAP citing lack of institutional support after facing legal notices from pharma firms over her stance.
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