New Delhi:

Nearly a year after an influencer raised concerns over Bournvita’s high sugar content and four months after it was reduced, the Center has asked e-commerce companies to remove the brand and all other drinks from “healthy drinks” ” category.

The Ministry of Commerce and Industry in its advisory noted that the term “healthy beverage” is not defined in the Food Safety and Standards (FSS) Act, 2006 or in the rules submitted by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI). Mondelez – which owns Bournvita, Cadbury and several other big brands.

“The National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR), a statutory body established under Section (3) of the Commission for Protection of Child Rights (CPCR) Act, 2005, after conducting an inquiry under Section 14 of the CRPC Act, 2005, has concluded that the FSS ‘Healthy beverages’ are not defined in the Act, the rules and regulations submitted by FSSAI and Mondelez India Food Pvt Ltd,” news agency IANS said, quoting a notification issued by the ministry on Wednesday.

In April last year, the NCPCR asked Bournvita to withdraw all “misleading” advertising, packaging and labeling after a video posted by influencer Revant Himatsingka, also known as FoodPharmer, highlighting the drink’s high sugar content went viral and sparked widespread criticism.

Mr Himatsingka accused Cadbury of making false claims about Bournvita’s health benefits and “misunderstanding” its “nutritional value”.

“There are 50 grams of sugar per 100 grams. Basically, half the bag is sugar,” he said.

Eight months later, in December, Mondelez said it had reduced added sugar by 14.4% – from 37.4 grams of added sugar per 100 grams to 32.2 grams of added sugar per 100 grams.

Speaking to NDTV after Mondelez announced the decision, the influencer said the decision was a major win for nutrition education in India.

“This is a huge win. I know 15% may not sound like a lot, but for a global company to do that is pretty amazing. I hope this will start a chain reaction and other companies will follow suit.” and try to “improve their product. Thousands of parents are now reading labels for the first time and people are eating more consciously, so overall it’s a huge win,” he said.

NCPCR investigation found that the sugar content in Bournvita was much higher than the acceptable limit and the ministry issued a notification on Wednesday. The child rights body has also asked the FSSAI to take action against companies that label supplements as “healthy drinks” and do not comply with the guidelines.

The agency said “healthy drinks” are not defined under the FSS Act and labeling any drink is a breach of regulations.

“Below recommended sugar limits”

Mondelez claims the sugar in Bournvita is well below the recommended daily sugar limit for children.

Bournvita has been loved and trusted by consumers for more than seven decades, the company said in an earlier statement. Bournvita contains nutrients such as vitamins A, C, D, iron, zinc, copper and selenium, which help strengthen immunity. It has been part of our formula for many years. For years (even before the Covid-19 pandemic), we’ve been saying “supports healthy immune system functioning” on the back of our packaging. “

“Each serving of Bournvita contains 7.5 grams of added sugar, which is approximately one and a half teaspoons. This is well below the recommended daily sugar limit for children,” the company said.