FSSAI won't ease 'energy drink' label deadline for PepsiCo, Red Bull, Monster & others
The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) in July privately gave the companies 90 days to drop "energy drink", or any similar description, from high-caffeine beverages, saying there were no Indian standards on such products and using that term breached regulations, Reuters has reported.
India's food safety regulator, FSSAI, will not grant global beverage companies an extension to the 90-day deadline for removing the term "energy drink" from their product labels, according to a government source. The decision, which is deemed public, will likely disrupt the beverage industry, particularly for major players such as PepsiCo, Red Bull, and Monster Beverage, as well as billionaire Mukesh Ambani's Reliance Consumer Products.
The regulator's stance stems from the lack of Indian standards for such products, as well as the breach of regulations by the alcohol, beverage, and food companies using the term. Despite the companies seeking at least a year to implement the decision, the government insists that existing stocks of these drinks can be sold off within 60-90 days, depending on the states.
The companies have not provided information on their inventory across different states, which they are required to track for traceability. The energy drink market in India is rapidly growing, with retail sales increasing by 12.6% annually, outpacing growth in the United States and China.
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