Sugary ‘ORS’ a danger, good riddance, say doctors

After eight years of a relentless campaign against the term ‘ORS’ (oral rehydration solution) being used for many packaged beverages, often high in sugar, Hyderabad-based paediatrician Dr Sivaranjani Santosh has finally seen a breakthrough. Food Safety and Standards Authority of India issued an advisory last week banning food and beverage companies from using the term in product names, labels or trademarks, even as a prefix or suffix. Many doctors TOI spoke to said cases of parents mistaking flavoured “hydration” or “electrolyte” drinks for ORS are becoming increasingly common. “These drinks contain 10 times more sugar than the amount recommended by World Health Organization and are sold in pharmacies as ORS,” Santosh told TOI. “Instead of rehydrating, it worsens diarrhoea, especi