Hyderabad: Experts from the Indian Academy of Pediatrics (IAP) and doctors are raising concerns over the mislabelling and sale of fruit juices as oral rehydration solution (ORS), a vital treatment for diarrhoea and dehydration, particularly prevalent during the summer.
However, commercially available fruit juices marketed as ORS, such as ORSL and RebalanzVit ORS, contain high sugar content, which can aggravate diarrhoea.
Dr Sivaranjani Santosh, paediatrician, said that high-sugar drinks are being sold under the guise of ORS, jeopardising the health of children suffering from diarrhoea.
"This mislabelling not only undermines the efficacy of ORS but also poses serious health risks, which is scarier. The deceptive marketing tactics not only compromise patient care but also erode trust in healthcare products," she said.
These practices have raised questions about the regulatory oversight in the country's food and drug industry.
Dr Rajesh Kumar N., consultant paediatrician, lamented the lack of action from medical bodies like IMA, and said, “It is indeed a shame that such fraudulent practices are allowed to persist. Medical associations must take a proactive stance in addressing this issue to safeguard public health.”
He explained that the IAP's recommendations stress the importance of prescribing ORS for all types of diarrhoea across all age groups. WHO-recommended formula for ORS contains specific concentrations of sodium, glucose, potassium, and citrate to effectively combat dehydration caused by diarrhoea.
In a bid to combat the mislabelling of fruit juices as ORS, IAP has called for increased awareness among healthcare providers and the general public.
Doctors sought stricter regulations and enforcement measures to ensure the availability of genuine ORS formulations in the market. Many hoped that the IAP would take the matter to the food processing ministry and the Central Drugs Standard Control Organization, urging swift action.
Doctors advised consumers to read labels carefully (in the case of ORSLs which actually have "not ORS" written in tiny letters) and opt for WHO-recommended ORS formulations to effectively combat dehydration.
