Regulation 2.10.6 (1) of the Food Safety and Standards (Food Products Standards and Food Additives) Regulations, 2011 prescribes the standards for carbonated water (soft drinks). However, it does not cover energy drinks.
Informing this in Lok Sabha, Shripad Yesso Naik the Minister of State, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, said as per available information, a team of researchers from the World Health Organization Regional office for Europe in the open-access journal Frontiers in Public Health has warned that increased consumption of energy drinks may pose danger to public health, especially among young people.
The minister further said that his ministry does not have any information about the energy/soft drinks manufacturers in other countries reducing the quantity of sugar in such drinks. Maximum permissible limit of amount of sugar for such drinks has not been prescribed in regulation 2.10.6 of the Food Safety and Standards (Food Products Standards and Food Additives) Regulations, 2011.
It may be noted that in the November issue of NuFFooDS Spectrum, we have covered a story on “Energy drinks market in India: A big opportunity” wherein we have pointed out that the soft drinks industry, which is launching energy drinks, has to address the issues and concerns raised by WHO and other agencies. Otherwise the industry might face many challenges and hurdles. With huge investments coming from cola giants in the coming years, the Indian energy drinks market can witness launch of natural healthy nutrition drinks in the coming years.