Dikhyaa Mohanty 
Earlier this month, the Union Ministry of Commerce & Industry ordered online retailers to take down the “health” category on their websites for all drinks and beverages. Hindustan Unilever Limited (HUL) has removed the word “health” from the labels of its well-known brands, Boost and Horlicks, in response to awareness. Rather, the business has made the decision to classify these goods as “Nutritional and Functional drinks.”
“Functional nutritional drinks (Horlicks & Boost) delivered high single-digit growth, driven by Plus range,” HUL stated in its regulatory filing, despite reporting a 1.53% fall in overall net profit for the fourth quarter of FY24. Tea’s market leadership in terms of volume and value remained strong. The Central government claims that these drinks’ sugar level is significantly higher than permitted.
The Ministry of Commerce & Industry announced in a notification dated April 10 that the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR), a statutory body constituted 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 “health drink” defined under the FSS Act 2006, rules and regulations submitted by FSSAI (Food Safety and Standards Authority of India) and Mondelez India Food Pvt Ltd.
As per FSSAI, ‘health drink’ is defined in India’s food laws and to project something under the same violates the rules. Last year, NCPCR had directed Cadbury-owned Bournvita to withdraw all “misleading” advertisements, packaging and labels. The order followed after a video by influencer Revant Himatsingka, aka FoodPharmer – highlighting Bournvita’s high sugar content — went viral and led to a lot of criticism.
