FSSAI gives energy-drink makers 90 days to drop ‘energy drink’ labels
FSSAI has denied relief to six beverage firms, including Reliance Consumer Products and PepsiCo, requiring them to remove “energy drink” labels within 90 days. The regulator says no such product category standard exists and functional claims are not permitted.
What happened
Reliance Consumer Products Ltd · FSSAI gave energy-drink makers, including Reliance Consumer Products and PepsiCo, 90 days to remove “energy drink” labels after
Key facts
- 90 days
- six beverage firms
- July 1
- FSS Act 2006
Why this matters
Reassess Indian functional-beverage targets and partnerships for regulatory defensibility, prioritizing brands with compliant formulations, flexible positioning and rights that do not rely on the 'energy drink' category.
What to watch
- FSSAI guidance specifying approved replacement descriptors or mandatory caffeine/warning labels.
- State-level inspections, marketplace takedowns, import holds or penalties near the end of the 90-day window.
- Whether Reliance Consumer Products, PepsiCo and other major firms relabel, reformulate, litigate or discontinue affected SKUs.
- Changes in shelf availability, quick-commerce search results and promotional intensity for leading stimulant beverage brands.
- Any broader FSSAI action against functional, hydration, immunity, protein or performance claims in beverages.
- Consumer confusion or sales declines following pack changes, especially for newer domestic brands without entrenched trademarks.
- Audit every SKU, ad asset, marketplace listing and distributor communication using the term “energy drink” or implied performance claims.
- Secure revised labels and packaging capacity immediately; prioritize high-velocity SKUs and define a compliant sell-through or relabelling plan for existing inventory.
- Build new brand architecture around taste, caffeine disclosure, refreshment and lifestyle cues without unapproved functional claims.
- Prepare retailer, quick-commerce and food-service partners for listing-name changes so search visibility and shelf placement are retained.
- Use industry bodies to seek written clarification on permissible descriptors, caffeine thresholds, warning statements and treatment of imported or in-market stock.
- Review whether adjacent products such as sports drinks, electrolyte drinks, malt beverages and shots face similar claim scrutiny.