HUL reclassifies its ‘health drinks’ to ‘functional nutritional drinks’

Delhi: Hindustan Unilever has reclassified its ‘health drinks’ as ‘functional nutritional drinks’ (FND) after the Union Ministry of Commerce and Industry directed e-commerce platforms to exclude such products from the 'healthy drinks' category. 

This change impacts popular brands like Horlicks and Boost, which fall under the company’s portfolio.

Ritesh Tiwari, the Chief Financial Officer of Hindustan Unilever, explained to the media that the new labeling as FND better reflects the nature of these products. He noted that this segment offers significant growth potential, indicating that it is currently under-penetrated.

This rebranding follows advisories from the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights and the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI). 

These bodies highlighted the lack of a clear definition for 'health drinks' under the Food Safety and Standards Act 2006 and cautioned against misleading labels on dairy, cereal, or malt-based beverages by classifying them as 'health' or 'energy' drinks on e-commerce sites.