6 months ago
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You indispensable person precocious seen mentions of thing called ORS successful the news. Do you cognize what it stands for? And wherefore is it successful the news?
So, ORS stands for Oral Rehydration Solution and is besides referred to arsenic Oral Rehydration Therapy (ORT). It is simply a benignant of fluid replacement which has sugars and salts, sodium and potassium, utilized to forestall and dainty dehydration during assorted illnesses similar diarrhoea. Use of oral rehydration therapy has been estimated to alteration the hazard of decease from diarrhoea by up to 93%. WHO recommends a circumstantial quantity of each ingredient, which is important to guarantee the champion prime ORS reaches the public.
The contented astatine manus was rather simple: a radical of ORS products being sold passim the state was not pursuing this peculiar prime check, starring to the merchandise not being of aesculapian quality. The World Health Organisation (WHO) recommends an oral rehydration solution (ORS) with a full osmolarity (a measurement of however galore dissolved particles are successful a liquid) of 245 mOsm/L. This modular look contains 2.6 grams of sodium chloride, 1.5 grams of potassium chloride, 2.9 grams of sodium citrate, and 13.5 grams of dextrose anhydrous (sugar) per litre.
In comparison, immoderate ORS packets produced by pharmaceutical organisations and sold successful the marketplace incorporate an approximate full sweetener contented of 120 grams per litre, of which 110 grams is added sugar. They besides person 1.17 grams of sodium, 0.79 grams of potassium, and 1.47 grams of chloride per litre.
In 2017, Dr Sivaranjani Santosh, a Hyderabad-based paediatrician, acceptable retired to combat a agelong conflict for the betterment of the aesculapian industry. Masquerading arsenic life-saving Oral Rehydration Solutions, definite sweetener drinks were being sold nether the pretext of being medically qualified ORS. Last week, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) issued an bid banning the usage of the word ‘ORS’ connected immoderate beverage that does not adhere to the WHO’s strict aesculapian formula.
Initially started arsenic an awareness-raising programme, it was successful 2021 that Dr Sivaranjani wrote to the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) and aboriginal FSSAI and the Ministry of Health. In April 2022, FSSAI prohibited the usage of the ORS label, but it reversed the bid successful July, allowing companies to usage the statement with a disclaimer. Since astir radical don’t work disclaimers, this was deceptive.
Last year, she filed a PIL and continued raising the contented connected societal media, gaining enactment from the Endocrine Society of India and the Women Paediatricians Forum.
After 8 years of conflict to guarantee amended healthcare, Dr Sivaranjani yet won. On October 15 2025, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) issued a landmark order, banning the usage of the word ‘ORS’ connected immoderate beverage that does not adhere to the WHO’s strict aesculapian formula, a determination that volition forestall the misuse of a captious healthcare label.
