HYDERABAD: Senior paediatrician Dr Sivaranjani Santosh on Tuesday launched an online petition against pharmaceutical companies that market sugar-based drinks in a manner similar to Oral Rehydration Salts (ORS), which is a medically recommended electrolyte solution.
Titled “Clear Communication for Electrolyte Drinks: Protect Consumers in Pharmacies”, the petition on Change.org seeks public support to urge the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) and the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) to stop manufacturers from misleading consumers.
“This issue is not about whether sugar-based drinks are safe in isolation. It is about how they are presented and perceived. When these products are marketed as electrolyte drinks using branding like ‘ORSL’, it raises serious concerns. The petition highlights that branding sugar-based energy drinks similar to ORS creates brand recall. When parents see these drinks positioned as a continuation or replacement of medical ORS, they may mistakenly use them to treat dehydration. This defeats the very purpose of regulatory action,” said Dr Sivaranjani.
As per the petition, at medical stores, people tend to make quick decisions under stress. They rely on familiar names and visual cues. Branding can directly influence what they choose, and if sugar-based drinks continue to build on ORSL recall, it risks being perceived as a medical solution for dehydration, even when it is not the same as ORS, which is the medically recommended solution.