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The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has issued notices to several leading beverage companies, including makers of Red Bull, Sting, Monster Energy and other popular brands, questioning their use of the term “energy drink” on product labels. The regulator said the branding could amount to misbranding and misleading marketing under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006.
The notices have been served to Red Bull Energy Drink, PepsiCo India’s Adrenaline Rush Energy Drink, Reliance Consumer Products’ Campa Energy Drink – Gold Boost, Sting Energy Drink, Hell Energy and Monster Energy. None of the companies had publicly responded to the regulator’s action at the time of publication.
FSSAI clarified that India has not notified any official food standard for products marketed as “energy drinks.” As a result, using the term on product packaging could mislead consumers into believing the products fall under a recognised regulatory category.
The food safety regulator also stressed that the Food Category System is meant only for regulatory classification and cannot be used as a product name or promotional descriptor.
Apart from the labeling issue, FSSAI has objected to several promotional claims commonly associated with such beverages, including statements like “vitalizes body and mind,” “boosts energy levels,” “enhances focus,” and “helps with general weakness.” According to the regulator, such functional or therapeutic claims are not permitted for food products unless specifically approved under existing regulations.
The action is part of FSSAI’s broader crackdown on misleading food labels and unsupported health claims. In recent months, the authority has intensified enforcement against companies over inaccurate labeling and deceptive advertisements. Earlier, it had also directed manufacturers of sugar-based rehydration beverages not to market their products as Oral Rehydration Solution (ORS) unless they complied with prescribed standards.
The latest move comes as India’s energy beverage market continues to grow rapidly, reinforcing FSSAI’s focus on truthful labeling, consumer protection and greater regulatory compliance across the food and beverage industry.
