Energy Drinks: An Unregulated Poison in India

Background: Energy drinks have swooped the beverage industry of late, there are not much papers related to the regulatory status of energy drinks in India. This paper aims to look into their regulation in India in comparison to developed nations. Methods: The study was conducted by consulting bibliographic databases such as, academic journals, trade journals, books, market reports, newspaper articles, web pages of relevant regulatory authorities using focused review questions. Results: Thirty nine papers were included in the review which revealed that in comparison to developed nations the regulatory status of energy drinks in India is still in the preliminary stages. Energy drinks marketed in India along with their active ingredients and drinks having non-permissible combinations have also been identified. Conclusion: Although FSSAI (Food Safety and Standards Authority of India) has drafted a proposal for regulating energy drinks but implementation seems to be a distant reality, the government should take stringent actions in order to improve the rising health concerns raised by energy drinks before it’s too little too late.