ORS Scam
Hyderabad paediatrician Dr. Sivaranjani Santosh fought for eight years against sugar-rich drinks falsely marketed as ORS. She argued that these beverages contained ten times the sugar WHO recommends, worsening diarrhoea in children.
Her persistence led to a decisive directive from the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) on Wednesday. The order bans beverage companies from using the term ‘Oral Rehydration Salts’ unless they follow the WHO-recommended formula.
Dr. Santosh highlighted the urgent need for children and patients to access safe, effective rehydration solutions, and her advocacy marks a significant victory for public health in India.
A post shared by Dr Sivaranjani Santosh (@drsivaranjanionline)
Dr. Santosh’s campaign challenged manufacturers who mislabelled sugary drinks as ORS. She emphasized that ORS is a specific medicinal formula with precise salts and glucose balance to ensure rapid fluid absorption. Her advocacy gained traction after incidents like the Madhya Pradesh cough syrup tragedy, which claimed several children’s lives.
Dr. Santosh filed a PIL in Telangana High Court and repeatedly engaged regulatory authorities, including CDSCO, FSSAI, MOHFW, and the Union Health Minister. She stressed that the ORS label must remain exclusive to WHO-compliant products to prevent further public health risks, especially among children with diarrhoea.
For nearly a decade, Dr. Santosh witnessed children arriving at clinics with worsened diarrhoea after consuming beverages falsely labelled as ORS. She explained that high-sugar content in these drinks delays fluid absorption, making diarrhoea more severe.
Authorities previously allowed some companies to use the ORS tag with disclaimers, but Dr. Santosh contested this compromise.
Her viral social media videos, which received over 3.3 million views, exposed the dangers of misleading ORS claims. Her efforts have now ensured that only WHO-approved ORS formulas carry the label, safeguarding children from life-threatening complications.Following Dr. Santosh’s relentless advocacy, FSSAI issued a landmark order restricting ORS labeling.
Dr. Santosh called it a major victory for public health, crediting doctors, advocates, parents, and citizens who supported her campaign. The directive marks a historic step in consumer safety, reaffirming that regulatory authorities will now ensure compliance and prevent further incidents linked to falsely labelled ORS products across India.
Comments pour with love and support. Influencer @foodpharmer said, she deserves a Padma Shri.
Swastika Sruti is a Senior Sub Editor at NewsX Digital with 5 years of experience shaping stories that matter. She loves tracking politics- national and global trends, and never misses a chance to dig deeper into policies and developments. Passionate about what’s happening around us, she brings sharp insight and clarity to every piece she works on. When not curating news, she’s busy exploring what’s next in the world of public interest. You can reach her at [swastika.newsx@gmail.com]
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