India’s food regulator has issued notices to several beverage companies, including Red Bull, Monster Energy, PepsiCo India and Campa, over the use of the term “energy drink” and related health claims on product labels.
The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) stated that current food safety regulations do not recognise “energy drink” as a defined category under the existing regulatory framework.
According to the regulator, notices have been issued to brands including Red Bull, Hell Energy, Campa Energy Drink, Monster Energy, PepsiCo India’s Adrenaline Rush and Sting for alleged violations linked to product naming and labelling practices.
FSSAI said that no specific standard has been prescribed for energy drinks under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, or related regulations. It clarified that the Food Category System under the Food Safety and Standards (Food Products Standards and Food Additives) Regulations, 2011, is intended only for regulatory classification and cannot be used as a basis for product names or descriptions on labels.
The regulator also raised concerns over promotional statements claiming benefits such as increased energy, improved focus, mental stimulation, body revitalisation or relief from weakness, stating that such functional or therapeutic claims are not permitted for food products under current norms.
According to FSSAI, the companies promoted products using terminology and claims that may not align with existing food safety regulations. The latest action forms part of a broader regulatory effort to tighten oversight on product branding, labelling and potentially misleading consumer claims.
The regulator had earlier issued similar notices to several food business operators over product names, claims and labelling practices, asking companies to take corrective measures to ensure compliance.