The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) on Wednesday issued notices to six energy drink brands over misbranding and misleading claims related to products marketed as "energy drinks". The six brands named by the food safety watchdog are: Red Bull Energy Drink, PepsiCo's Adrenaline Rush Energy Drink, Reliance Consumer Products' Campa Energy Drink Gold Boost, Sting Energy Drink, Hell Energy and Coca-Cola-backed Monster Energy.
In a post on Instagram, the food regulator said it had issued notices to these brands claiming to be energy drinks for violations related to branding and promotional claims.
The FSSAI has not notified any specific standard for products classified as "energy drinks" or similar beverages. It alleged that the brands marketed their products using descriptors such as "energy drink" on branding and labelling despite the absence of such a notified category.
It further clarified that the food category system under its regulations is intended for classification purposes and not for product naming or labelling.
The food regulator also objected to certain functional and therapeutic claims associated with such products. It said claims including "vitalises body and mind", "enhancing focus", "boost energy levels", "aid in general weakness" and similar assertions are not permissible for food products under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 and related regulations.
Comments from the six brands could not be immediately obtained.
In recent months, the FSSAI has stepped up action against food business operators over misbranding, misleading advertisements and claims that violate food safety regulations. The regulator has also acted on complaints received from consumers.
As part of its consumer awareness efforts, the watchdog has increasingly been publicising such enforcement actions through social media platforms, including Instagram and X, to promote compliance and food safety awareness.
