FSSAI steps up action on energy drink labelling; Rajasthan seizes over five lakh cans and bottles
FSSAI has issued show cause notices to multiple energy drink brands and moved from warnings to enforcement, with Rajasthan carrying out market action and e‑coms
India’s food regulator has intensified enforcement on products marketed as energy drinks, moving beyond letters to active market policing. The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) issued show cause notices on July 1 to six brands, including Red Bull Energy Drink, PepsiCo’s Adrenaline Rush and Sting, Campa Energy Drink Gold Boost, Hell Energy and Monster Energy.
FSSAI’s main objection is technical but has direct impact on how these products are classified and sold. The regulator says India has not notified a separate food standard for products sold specifically as energy drinks. As a result, companies cannot rely on their existing licensing category to justify the use of the term “energy drink”. FSSAI also says the composition of such products fits better under standards for caffeinated beverages.
Labelling and marketing claims come under scrutiny
Along with naming, FSSAI challenged marketing language that links these drinks to health outcomes. The regulator has objected to claims such as “vitalises body and mind”, enhancing focus, and aiding general weakness, saying consumers may treat advertising as an established health benefit.
While a national 90-day window for compliance on labels was being discussed, Rajasthan began enforcement. State food safety officials seized more than five lakh cans and bottles across the state by early August. In July, over 53,000 bottles of Red Bull were seized from a warehouse in Jaipur. Authorities also pulled consignments of Hell Energy and Sting for lab testing.
On July 8, Rajasthan directed major e-commerce platforms—Amazon, Flipkart, Blinkit and Swiggy Instamart—to stop listing or promoting the named products as energy drinks. The order was reported to have not received responses to queries.
Industry meets FSSAI; compliance window confirmed
Industry executives and FSSAI held a closed-door meeting after the notices. Officials from Maharashtra and Gujarat reportedly joined the meeting as well, suggesting state-level enforcement may broaden. FSSAI chief executive Rajit Punhani is reported to have told companies they could take the issue to court if they disagreed.
By the end of the meeting, companies agreed to align with the regulator’s position, and FSSAI confirmed the 90-day period to update labels, with no extension. Two practical points remain unclear: when exactly the 90-day clock starts and whether companies can sell down existing packaged stock.
FSSAI also said it suspended the manufacturing licence of Westend Agro Products Pvt Ltd after an inspection found altered manufacturing and expiry dates, tampered batch numbers, and misleading declarations. The enforcement push, the regulator said, extends beyond only the six named brands. Internationally, England is set to ban high caffeine energy drinks for children under sixteens from April 2026, and parts of Pakistan already require stimulant-related labelling.
