Low-grade energy drinks flood market

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: With the Centre giving strict directions to all states  to keep track of  the quality of imported energy drinks being sold, the commissionerate of food safety has started collecting their samples. Preliminary investigations revealed that low-quality energy drinks were being sold  through referral or multi-level marketing.

The commissionerate has launched an investigation  to crack down on such chains. Supermarkets, which sell imported energy drinks, are also under the scanner.

It is learnt that energy drinks of various foreign brands with high caffeine content,  which is not permissible in India,  arrive through unauthorised channels. Food safety joint commissioner (enfor-cement) D. Ashraf told DC that   dealers brought such banned products into the market unofficially through referral marketing.

He said that the approval and licence from food safety and standards authority of India (FSSAI) were  a must for any party to import any such drinks.

“All these energy drinks come with attractive labels and packaging and people are being lured into this chain for marketing. Hefty sums are being offered to bring in more people for referral marketing. The caffeine content in such drinks is beyond permissible limits and could affect the nervous system if consumed regularly,” said Mr Ashraf.  Food safety authorities are trying to track the dealers and distributors to end the sales.

“We are waiting for the lab results and once we have the evidence we will book the distributors and find out the real source and take necessary action,” he said.

Meanwhile, the squads under the food safety served notices to wholesale and retail dealers of vegetables and fruits to get licence and registration at the earliest. The authorities are planning  an adalat next week to help  the traders  get licence and registrations.