Bournvita Row: The government has given important instructions to all e-commerce companies. They have been instructed to remove all such products including Bournvita from the ‘Healthy Drinks‘ category from their portals. The Ministry of Commerce and Industry has issued an advisory to all e-commerce companies in this regard. The reason for doing so has been given in this. The rules of the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) have been cited in the advisory.
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What does the advisory say?
According to the advisory, ‘The National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) is a statutory body under section (three) of the Commission for Protection of Child Rights (CPCR) Act 2005. It concluded after its investigation under section 14 of the CrPC Act 2005 that there is no ‘health drink’ defined under the FSS Act 2006, rules and regulations submitted by FSSAI and Mondelez India Food Private Limited.’
When did the order come?
The order has been issued on April 10, 2024. It said that all e-commerce companies/portals are advised to remove Bournvita and other beverages from the health drink category from their platforms/sites.
Food safety standards regulator FSSAI on April 2 directed all e-commerce food business operators (FBOs) to ensure proper classification of food products being sold on their websites.
The controversy over Bournvita’s classification as a health drink highlights the broader issue of regulatory oversight and consumer awareness. The lack of a clear definition of ‘health drink’ within existing food laws has led to uncertainty in product labelling and marketing.
