Hindustan Unilever Ltd (HUL), which has multiple brands like Horlicks and Boost under it, has rebranded its 'health drinks' category. The company renamed its 'health food drinks' category as 'functional nutritional drinks' (FND) and dropped the 'health' label from Horlicks.
This move comes after the Minister of Commerce and Industry asked e-commerce platforms to remove drinks and beverages from the 'healthy drinks' category.
During a press conference on April 24, HUL's Chief Financial Officer Ritesh Tiwari made this announcement, emphasising that this change will provide a more accurate and transparent description of the category.
As per HUL, the 'functional nutritional drinks' category serves the community's protein and micronutrient deficiency needs.
FND could be defined as any non-alcoholic beverage that provides additional health benefits due to including any bioactive component from a plant, animal, marine or microorganism source.
According to the Institute for Integrative Nutrition, functional nutrition is a holistic approach to diet. it takes into consideration a person's lifestyle factors that could affect their food choices.
This regulatory crackdown comes from the absence of a clear definition of 'health drinks' under the Food Safety and Standards Act 2006.
The developments were made after concerns were raised about the high sugar levels in beverages like Bournvita and Horlicks.
This happened when Cadbury's Bournvita, another popular malted drink in the country like Horlicks, came under the scanner for its high sugar content, highlighted by a social media influencer called Food Pharmer.
Later, the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) sent an enquiry to the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), which resulted in the Centre's order to e-commerce firms.
