For eight long years, Hyderabad paediatrician Dr Sivaranjani Santosh battled corporate giants over one simple demand. That Oral Rehydration Solution (ORS) labels be used only for WHO-approved, medical-grade rehydration mixes, and not sugary electrolyte drinks dressed up as medicine.
It was her persistence that finally paid off. On October 15, the FSSAI, India's food regulatory body, announced a long-overdue ban on misleading ORS products.
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For a country where childhood diarrhoea remains a major cause of death, it felt like a turning point where science had finally won over marketing.
However, the ink had barely dried on the notification when reports surfaced that the regulator had allegedly “consented” to a stay allowing Kenvue’s Indian arm, JNTL, to dispose of its high-sugar ORSL stock.
The public outrage (it began as a viral post on social media) was swift and justified.
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