Key Update 

A city-based paediatrician, Dr Sivaranjani,  has renewed her appeal to parents to support a petition raising concerns about the branding and marketing of the ERZL electrolyte drink. She warned that the way the product is presented could create confusion during the management of dehydration, especially in children. Dr Sivaranjani clarified that her concern does not relate to the safety of the drink itself. Instead, she emphasised that the product’s communication and positioning may create an association with Oral Rehydration Solution (ORS), which doctors widely recommend for treating dehydration.

Concerns Over Branding and Consumer Perception

Dr Sivaranjani said similarities in branding or references to similarly named products in advertisements could exist between medically recommended ORS and commercially marketed electrolyte beverages such as ERZL. She pointed out that parents often make quick decisions in pharmacies while dealing with a sick child. In such high-pressure situations, many people rely on familiar names, packaging, or visual cues. This, she said, may lead some parents to perceive the drink as a substitute for ORS, potentially affecting effective dehydration treatment.

Questions Over Ingredients and Use

The paediatrician also raised concerns about certain ingredients in the drink, including artificial sweeteners. She stressed that frequent or prolonged use of such products among children requires clearer communication so that consumers understand the difference between medical rehydration solutions and general electrolyte beverages.

Petition Seeks Regulatory Clarity

Dr Sivaranjani said she received a legal notice from Johnson & Johnson and Kenvue after raising these concerns. However, she maintained that the petition aims to improve clarity in healthcare communication rather than create conflict. Through the petition, she has urged the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India and the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare to introduce clearer product differentiation, strengthen regulation of branding practices, and ensure better enforcement at pharmacy counters to prevent consumer confusion.

Previous Advocacy on ORS-Like Beverages

Dr Sivaranjani had earlier raised concerns about sugary drinks marketed as alternatives to Oral Rehydration Solution (ORS), following which the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India banned such products from being promoted as ORS.

Source: Deccan Chronicle