The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has issued notices to several beverage companies, including Red Bull, PepsiCo India, Reliance Consumer Products, Coca-Cola-backed Monster Energy, Sting Energy, Hell Energy and Gold Boost, over alleged misbranding and misleading claims related to products marketed as energy drinks.
In a statement shared on social media, the food regulator said the notices were issued after it found that several products were being promoted as "energy drinks" despite the absence of a notified regulatory standard for such a category under India's food safety regulations.
Brands named by FSSAI
The products mentioned by the regulator include:
Red Bull Energy Drink
PepsiCo India's Adrenaline Rush
Reliance Consumer Products' Campa Energy
Coca-Cola-backed Monster Energy
Sting Energy
Hell Energy
Gold Boost
The regulator said these products have been marketed using the description "energy drink" on their branding and labels, which could amount to misbranding under existing regulations.
No official standard for energy drinks
FSSAI clarified that it has not notified any standard for "energy drinks" or similar products under the Food Safety and Standards Regulations.
It further explained that the Food Category System under the regulations is intended only for regulatory classification and cannot be used for product naming or labelling.
Companies are therefore expected to ensure that product labels comply with the standards set out in the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006.
Claims under scrutiny
The regulator also reiterated that food products cannot make functional or therapeutic claims unless specifically permitted under the law.
According to FSSAI, claims such as:
Or similar statements are not permissible for food products under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, and the rules framed under it.
Consumer complaints and enforcement
FSSAI said the notices were issued as part of its ongoing enforcement drive against misleading advertisements and misbranding. Some of the actions were also initiated in response to consumer complaints received by the regulator.
Over the past several months, the authority has been publicly disclosing enforcement actions through its official social media platforms to improve transparency and raise awareness about food safety regulations.
What the notices mean
The issuance of notices does not automatically establish a violation. It allows the companies to respond to the regulator's observations before any further action is considered under the applicable provisions of the Food Safety and Standards Act.
As of now, the companies named by FSSAI have not publicly responded to the notices.
