The FSSAI, the primary food regulatory body in India, banned beverages from using the term 'ORS' in their branding if they do not meet the WHO ORS standards. This Fake ORS drinks ban comes after many years of battle by a paediatrician, Dr. Sivaranjini Santosh, who documented several cases of children developing life-threatening dehydration despite being treated with drinks marketed as ORS. These products gained popularity thanks to their bright packaging, varied flavour profiles, celebrity endorsements, and claims of rehydration. Still, they had ten times more sugar and too little sodium than the medically approved ORS. This means parents and expectant mothers need to be extra careful with ORS and know how to differentiate between fake and real ORS. This article does just that: it helps to understand the dangers and health risks of fake ORS and how to choose original ORS, so that there are no serious complications from dehydration in children and expectant mothers.
Fake ORS is a beverage or packaged drink that mimics ORS (oral rehydration solution) but does not have the medical composition recommended by the WHO or the Indian Pharmacopoeia Commission. These products:
● Available in bottles or tetra packs, sold as hydration boosters or ORS drinks.
● Has very low potassium and sodium levels and too much sugar.
● They are misleadingly marketed as ideal for hydration, though they do not meet the scientific formula for medical use.
● They taste good, claim to hydrate, look safe, but are not real and pose a risk to vulnerable groups.
On October 14, 2025, FSSAI sent a notice to all commercial ORS brands stating that ORS cannot be used in trademarked names, even as a prefix or suffix, and that use violates the 2006 Food Safety and Standards Act unless it complies with the WHO formulation guidelines. It stated that the term ORS in any food product, whether ready-to-drink, non-carbonated or fruit-based, with or without a prefix/suffix, is a violation. The ban recognises that certain medical standards are critical and cannot be diluted for commercial interests.
● Failure to meet ORS standards
● False health claims
● Potential complications during illness, diarrhoea or dehydration
The FSSAI ORS ban is not about commercial labelling, but it is a public health safeguard. India sees many child deaths due to dehydration and diarrhoea. According to WHO data, a well-formulated ORS reduces mortality by up to 93%. Parents, without knowing, use fake ORS drinks, and the results can be devastating. By requiring companies to adhere to the WHO formulation, it prevents the danger of fake ORS drinks. Parents should also be conscious and purchase ORS that meets WHO standards and is a medical product and not a flavoured drink.
The fake electrolyte drinks danger is that they can worsen dehydration and diarrhoea, and cause an electrolyte imbalance, which is not a marketing issue. It is unsafe as it has-
● Excessive sugar: most brands use 10 times the amount the WHO recommends for ORS. Instead of rehydration, high sugar draws water from the intestine, worsening fluid loss.
● An incorrect electrolyte balance with low sodium and a wrong ratio of other electrolytes can lead to serious complications such as kidney strain and brain swelling.
● Products sold with packaging and names mimicking real ORS confuse parents and use them as a treatment for severe dehydration, and delay medical intervention.
● Commercial drinks contain sweeteners, artificial colours and flavours which cause side effects such as headaches and digestive issues.
Children are more vulnerable to dehydration than adults because they lose fluid more quickly. Additionally, fake ORS that does not meet medical standards and is not a medically approved solution poses significant risks, such as:
● Worsened dehydration due to high sugar content, which draws more water from the intestines, increasing fluid loss instead of rehydrating the body.
● These drinks don’t contain enough salt, which can cause an electrolyte imbalance. This imbalance can cause severe complications like seizures, irregular heartbeat, kidney failure or brain swelling.
● Mild illness can turn into a medical emergency as fake products are not life-saving.
● Diarrhoea is the leading cause of death in children, and one of the complications of fake ORS risks for children is that it increases mortality risks.
Dehydration during pregnancy can cause pregnancy complications like low amniotic fluid, neural tube defects, premature labour and inadequate breast milk production. The best way to overcome dehydration during pregnancy is to consume WHO-approved ORS. It is safe for the mother and baby and is an effective way to prevent dehydration by fluid loss, diarrhoea, vomiting, excessive sweating, heat or other illnesses. However, expectant mothers must make informed decisions when faced with dehydration by staying away from unsafe fake ORS. While these beverages provide fluids and electrolytes, they lack the potassium-to-sodium balance necessary for adequate hydration, contain excessive sugar, and do not address the issue at hand.
● A genuine ORS should contain 1.5 g of potassium chloride, 1.6 g of sodium chloride, 2.9 g of sodium citrate, and 13.5 g of dextrose per litre of water, according to WHO guidelines. It contains approximately 13.5 g of glucose/litre and has a specific sugar-to-salt ratio.
● It is slightly salty, plain and colourless.
● Check the formula to determine if the WHO-recommended recipe is followed and if additives are present.
● The package must explicitly say WHO-ORS or WHO-recommended formula.
● Verify whether the product bears the DCGI Regulatory mark before buying it – this indicates it is a medicine. Do not choose products with the FSSAI Regulatory mark; this shows they are food.
● It's best to buy the product from a Pharmacy or Medical Store that you trust.
● Be sure to check the expiry date, manufacturing date, and batch number on the package before making your purchase.
● Ensure it has no added flavour or colour.
● ORS is specifically designed for use during diarrhoea, unlike energy drinks that may carry warnings against use during illness.
The ban applies only to fake ORS products, not to WHO-approved medical ORS. It means fake ORS drinks are prohibited to prevent complications caused by fake electrolyte drinks and not the WHO-approved ORS, which is the most effective treatment for dehydration in children and pregnant women. Parents and pregnant women should verify products and rely only on medically approved ORS, and not sugar-laden beverages, for safe hydration.
Fake ORS drinks are banned in India as they contain very high levels of sugar, which worsens dehydration instead of treating it.
Yes. Fake ORS drinks are dangerous for pregnant women as they contain excessive sugar and an incorrect salt proportion that can lead to pregnancy complications.
It can worsen dehydration, cause kidney damage or other organ damage, brain swelling, and seizures. It also increases mortality risks.
Real ORS is a water-based mixture of glucose and electrolytes in a balanced proportion that replaces lost fluids. Fake ORS is high in sugar and low in electrolytes (salt) and sometimes contains additives which can worsen dehydration.
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