The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has taken a major step by withdrawing all earlier orders that restricted the use of the term “ORS” (Oral Rehydration Salts) in food and beverage brand names. The decision, announced on October 14, 2025, was signed by Sweety Behera from FSSAI’s Regulatory Compliance Division and approved by the competent authority.

With this move, FSSAI has removed all previous conditions and disclaimer requirements tied to “ORS” branding. Food companies can now freely use the term under general trademark and labeling regulations, marking the end of a regulatory framework that had been in place since 2022.

Why FSSAI Had Restricted ‘ORS’ Branding

The issue began in April 2022, when FSSAI tried to stop misleading ads that made flavoured or electrolyte drinks look like medical ORS solutions. ORS, recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO), is a medical formulation used to treat dehydration.

Many companies were using “ORS” in their brand names to attract consumers, even though their drinks were not actual oral rehydration solutions. To prevent confusion, FSSAI issued strict guidelines in 2022.

Later, after multiple representations from companies and a Delhi High Court case (Rupa Singh vs. Government of India & Others), FSSAI allowed those with valid trademarks containing “ORS” to continue using them until a decision was made by the Controller General of Patents, Designs and Trademarks (CGPDTM).

However, companies without trademarks had to stop using the term. They were also required to print a clear disclaimer on the front of the pack stating: “The product is NOT an ORS formula as recommended by WHO.”

Changes in 2024 and the Final Withdrawal

In February 2024, FSSAI issued another clarification. It said that food businesses could still use “ORS” with prefixes or suffixes like “Hydra-ORS” or “Energy-ORS,” but only under Section 17 of the Trade Marks Act, 1999.

It also made it mandatory to comply with the Food Safety and Standards (Advertising and Claims) Regulations, 2018, and required large, visible disclaimers explaining that “ORS” was used as a brand name only not as a medical claim.

The font size and placement of these disclaimers were regulated, and the rules were to take effect from April 1, 2024.

Now, with the October 2025 order, all such requirements have been withdrawn. The use of “ORS” in brand names will now be governed only by trademark laws and general food labeling regulations that prevent misleading claims.

This gives food and beverage brands complete freedom to use “ORS” in their names, such as Electro-ORS or Glucose-ORS, without needing special disclaimers or design approvals from FSSAI.

With this decision, FSSAI has handed control of “ORS” branding back to the marketplace. The move simplifies compliance for food businesses and restores flexibility in naming and marketing their products.