BOURNVITA’S RELEGATION: EXIT FROM HEALTH DRINK CATEGORY SPARKS DEBATE

BOURNVITA’S RELEGATION: EXIT FROM HEALTH DRINK CATEGORY SPARKS DEBATE

eCommerce websites selling Bournvita and other beverages have been asked by the Indian government to take them down from the "health drink" section. In a clarification, the Ministry of Commerce and Industry stated that neither the Food Safety and Standards (FSS) Act 2006 nor its regulations define the word "health drink." Because of the high sugar content, Bournvita caused criticism a year ago. As stated by Cadbury on the back of Bournvita's carton, food educator Revant Himatsingka publicly announced to the world: The popular malt extract drink with a chocolate flavor contains around 50% sugar. The influencer, who goes by the handle FoodPharmer, sparked a lot of discussion and criticism of the brand by drawing attention to the drink's high sugar content. “How is this helping your brains? How is this helping your immunity? How is this even legal?” he questioned in a 90-second Instagram video, calling on the authorities to investigate "false claims." The post received about 1.2 crore views after becoming viral. "After listening to this video about Bournvita, I will be consulting my lawyers and will file a case for defrauding the people," tweeted a former cricket player who is now an MP. 

Mondelez-owned corporation contends that the sugar content of their beverages is less than the daily recommended guideline for children's sugar intake. They summoned legal counsel and delivered a legal notice to the influencer with the intention of "preventing misinformation." Additionally, they uploaded an Instagram message highlighting the nutritional benefits of Bournvita.

At the 40-second point, Revant engaged in some borderline alarmist rhetoric when he claimed that one of Bournvita's chemicals, the caramel color E150-C, “is suspected of causing cancer and reducing immunity.” The child rights body took action in response to a video that revealed the beverage's excessive sugar content. The beverage was previously frequently referred to as a "health drink" in various advertisements. The NCPCR also requested that Bournvita provide a thorough report or explanation of the situation in a notice to the chocolate giant. The NCPCR took action after receiving a complaint that claimed Bournvita, despite having a high sugar content and other substances that might be harmful to children's health, markets itself as a health drink and makes claims about how it improves children's growth and development. 

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