Unauthorised electrolyte drinks have flooded the market in the absence of regulatory oversight, exposing public health to risks.
The Bangladesh Standards and Testing Institution has not yet set standards for the approval of such drinks as the products are not on its list of products compulsory certification.
The Directorate General of Drug Administration has also stated that such beverages do not qualify as drugs.
Physicians and nutritionists have, meanwhile, expressed concern about unauthorised electrolyte products available on the market as the consumption of these products could lead to health complications. The drinks may cause muscle weakness, kidney complications and heart attacks as they are intended for specific health conditions.
Although the products have been available on the market since 2021, the issue drew attention when the Pure Food Court having jurisdiction over the Dhaka North City Corporation area on May 14 warrants for the arrest of top officials of seven companies.
The warrants were issued after the Dhaka South City Corporation鈥檚 food safety inspector Kamrul Hasan on the day filed five cases over the unauthorised production, marketing and sales of the electrolyte drinks and their deceptive advertisements.
SMC Plus of Acme and SMC, Aktive+ of Pran, Bruvana of Bruvana Beverage Ltd, Recharge of Deshbandhu and Agami Company and Turbo of Akij have approval neither of the Directorate General of Drug Administration nor the Standards and Testing Institution.
BSTI deputy director Reazul Haque said on May 23 that the institution was yet to set any standards for electrolyte drink as it is not yet on the agency鈥檚 compulsory product list.
He, however, said that a decision had been made to set standards for such products.
The companies market and sale the drinks through advertisements giving out false information on health benefits, according to the case document. The adverts say that the drinks cure dehydration and control low blood pressure, posing questions whether they are drugs or drinks.
Asked about the inaction, the drug administration director general Md Ashraf Hossain said on May 24, 鈥楾hese products do not qualify as drugs. The issues that the product labels talk of do not fall within the purview of the Drugs Act.鈥�
Imported electrolyte drinks have, meanwhile, flooded the market with the logo of the Standards and Testing Institution.
Asked about orange- and apple-flavoured Taaqa electrolyte juice with the BSTI logo,聽 BSTI deputy director Reazul has said, 鈥楾he Standards and Testing Institution has not approved it. The agency would conduct drives against such products.鈥� Route to Market International Ltd imports the drink from Bhutan.
About the use of the BSTI logo, Route to Market International Ltd manager Hasan Mahmud has referred to Saikatul, naming him as the designated person to talk about the issue. Brand manager Saikatul, however, declined comments on May 23. 聽
Beside the drinks of five brands facing legal proceedings, many other products, including Blu, Spark and state-owned Bangladesh Machine Tools Factory Ltd produced BMTF, are available on the market in the absence of oversight.
The Bangladesh Food Safety Authority chair, Zakaria, said, 鈥極ur attention has not been called to such products. We will examine the situation and take appropriate action.鈥�
Anisur Rahman Patwari, head of distribution at Army Pharma Ltd, a concern of the Machine Tools Factory, has claimed that they have obtained BSTI approval, but the bottles that sell do not carry the BSTI logo.
They, however, stopped supplying the product on May 14 after the issuance of warrants of arrest, he said.
Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University professor emeritus ABM Abdullah has sounded warning against the consumption of the drinks without doctor鈥檚 advice as increased levels of potassium and sodium could lead to the collapse of the heart, the kidney and the liver.
The medicine expert, rather, suggest drinking pure water and fresh food than having such drinks.
Electrolytes like sodium and potassium play a crucial role in balancing fluid levels in and outside cells, supporting muscle functionality and controlling blood pressure, said Md Saidul Arefin, a professor at the Institute of Nutrition and Food Science in the University of Dhaka.
He said that such drinks are generally consumed during episodes of dehydration, vomiting and diarrhoea as such health conditions cause fluid loss in the body.
He said that electrolyte imbalance could result in muscle weakness, heart failures and, even cardiac arrests, noting that such products should not be sold on the market without approval.
The court imposed fines of Tk聽16 lakh on SMC Enterprise Ltd owner Waliul Islam on May 16, Tk 16 lakh on ACME Agrovet and Beverages Ltd owner Tanveer Sinha and Tk 12 lakh on Deshbandhu Food and Beverage Ltd chair Golam Mostafa on May 19.聽
Akij Food and Beverage Limited chair Sheikh Shamim Uddin was fined Tk 4 lakh on May 21 and Pran Dairy Ltd chair and chief executive officer Ahsan Khan Chowdhury Tk 10 lakh on May 23.
The court on May 20 directed the Food Safety Authority to take all SMC Plus electrolyte drinks off the market and consumers. No such directive was, however, given for other products that faced the lawsuit.
All electrolyte drinks were, however, still available at shops, pharmacies and supermarkets in Dhaka on May 24.
Other officials facing warrants for arrest are Sarajit Baral, chief executive officer of Agami Limited, Deshbandhu鈥檚 marketing and selling partner; and Md Touhidul Islam, factory in-charge of Br眉vana Beverage Limited which produces mango-flavoured Bruvana Sports+ Electrolyte Beverage.