Bournvita and other similar beverages should be removed from the health drink category on e-commerce platforms as there is no ‘health drink’ category defined under the Food Safety and Standards Act (FSS Act 2006), the Ministry of Commerce and Industry said in a letter issued to the e-commerce companies.
In the letter, dated 10 April, the Ministry of Commerce advised the e-commerce companies to remove Bournvita and other beverages from the ‘health drinks’ category.
On April 2, food safety standards regulators FSSAI directed all e-commerce food business operators(FBOs) to ensure appropriate categorization of food products being sold on their websites.
“National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR), a statutory body constituted under section (3) of the Commission of Protection of Child Rights (CPCR) Act 2005 after its inquiry under Section 14 of CRPC Act 2005 concluded that there is no ‘health drink’ defined under FSS Act 2006, rules and regulations submitted by FSSAI and Mondelez India Food Pvt Ltd,” the Commerce and Industry Ministry said in an advisory to all e-commerce companies.

Bournvita’ s previous controversies and misleading Advertisements
Last year, Bournvita was talk of the town as it was involved into a controversy because of its high content of sugar levels. The advisory follows an inquiry by the NCPCR, which revealed that Bournvita contains sugar levels exceeding the acceptable limits.
A few days later, the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) asked the Mondelez India- owned brand to remove all “misleading” commercials claiming of several health benefits with the consumption of the drink. The action by the child rights body came after a video threw light upon the high sugar content in the beverage, which was earlier often labelled as “health drink” in several ads.
The controversy over the potentially ‘unhealthy’ nature of Bournvita first arose after a YouTuber criticized the powdered supplement in a video, highlighting its high sugar content, cocoa solids, and harmful additives.
The video suggested that these ingredients could pose significant health risks to children, including the potential for cancer. Bournvita had rejected all these claims, termed the influencer’s video as unscientific.
The influencer, Revant Himat Singka later deleted the video from all platforms after being served a legal notice by Mondelez India.
NCPCR further says, The product’s labelling and packaging also fails to acknowledge the correct information regarding the contents used in the Bournvita health drink.
In a notice to Bournvita, the NCPCR also asked the confectionary major to send a detailed explanation or report in the matter. The action by NCPCR came after it received a complaint alleging that Bournvita promotes itself as a health drink and make claims like improving children’s growth and development regardless of its high percentage of sugar and other ingredients that may impact children’s health.