FSSAI has no notified standard for 'energy drink' as a product category, and six major brands used that descriptor plus therapeutic claims on labels, triggering regulatory notices in July 2026.
FSSAI issued show-cause notices on July 3, 2026 to six beverage brands for misbranding and misleading health claims under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 (FSS Act). The six are Red Bull Energy Drink, PepsiCo's Adrenaline Rush Energy Drink, Reliance Consumer Products' Campa Energy Drink Gold Boost, Sting Energy Drink, Hell Energy, and Coca-Cola-backed Monster Energy.
The regulator announced the action through its official Instagram account, a channel it has used increasingly over the past several months to communicate enforcement actions directly to consumers. Responses from the six brands were not available at the time of reporting.
What changed
The core of FSSAI's objection is definitional. The regulator stated explicitly that it has not notified any product standard for "energy drink" or similar categories under the Food Category System in the FSS Regulations. That system, FSSAI clarified, is a classification tool for regulatory purposes and is not intended to be used for product naming or front-of-pack labelling.
By printing "energy drink" prominently on branding and labels, these companies were using a category descriptor that has no legal standing as a product name in India. That alone would be grounds for a misbranding notice.
The second layer of the complaint concerns health and functional claims. FSSAI listed specific phrases it considers impermissible under the FSS Act 2006 and the rules made under it:
- "vitalizes body and mind"
- "enhancing focus"
- "boost energy levels"
- "aid in general weakness"
These are therapeutic or functional claims. Under FSS Regulations, such claims require either a specific regulatory permission or must meet conditions set out in the Food Safety and Standards (Advertising and Claims) Regulations, 2018. Generic stimulant beverages, which these products are licensed as, do not qualify for therapeutic claim permissions. FSSAI has not publicly released the full text of each individual notice, so the precise charge against each brand may differ.
This action fits a broader enforcement pattern. Over the past year, FSSAI has sent notices to food business operators across categories, from flavoured milk to health supplements, for claims that imply disease prevention or physiological benefit without regulatory backing. The energy drink sector had largely escaped this wave until now.
Why this matters for Indian consumers
India's energy drink market has grown rapidly, with products like Sting (PepsiCo) and Monster (Coca-Cola) now widely available at kirana stores and petrol stations at price points accessible to teenagers and young adults. The marketing for these products routinely uses language that implies cognitive or physical enhancement, and that language appears directly on cans and bottles, not just in advertising.
The caffeine content in these drinks is a separate but related concern. Most energy drinks sold in India contain between 80 mg and 160 mg of caffeine per serving, comparable to one or two strong cups of coffee. FSSAI's current draft regulations on caffeine labelling have not been finalised, so consumers currently have no standardised warning system to rely on. The notices issued this week do not address caffeine disclosure directly, but the misbranding action may prompt a broader review.
For parents, the practical concern is that a product labelled "energy drink" with claims like "enhancing focus" reads as a functional health product. Without a notified standard, there is no minimum or maximum for caffeine, taurine, or B-vitamins in these products, and no mandatory age advisory on the label.
What buyers should do
Until FSSAI finalises a product standard for energy drinks and the notices result in label changes, the information on current cans should be read with caution.
Check the ingredient list for caffeine quantity. Some brands list it in milligrams; others do not. If the label says "contains caffeine" without a number, that is a gap worth noting. Taurine and glucuronolactone, common energy drink ingredients, have no established safe upper limits under Indian regulations at this time.
Ignore claims like "vitalizes body and mind" or "boosts focus" on any product that is not a licensed nutraceutical or health supplement registered under FSSAI's specific nutraceutical regulations. FSSAI's notice confirms these phrases are not permissible for standard food products.
If you want a caffeine hit without the additives, brewed black coffee or green tea gives you a known caffeine dose with no synthetic additives, no taurine, and no regulatory ambiguity. For genuine electrolyte replenishment after exercise, coconut water or an oral rehydration solution is a more transparent option than a product whose category does not legally exist yet in Indian food law.
FSSAI has not announced a deadline for the six brands to respond or comply, and the full schedule of required label changes has not been released. Watch the FSSAI official website and its Instagram account for follow-up orders.