Business/Consumer · NEWS EXPLAINER
Delhi High Court quashes FSSAI order against Red Bull’s ‘Energy Drink’ label
The court set aside the June 30 direction because Red Bull was not given a chance to present its case. The ruling does not settle whether the descriptor is substantively lawful, and FSSAI can revisit the issue after notice and a hearing.
The Delhi High Court on September 29 set aside an order from India's Food Safety and Standards Authority that had told Red Bull to stop using the “Energy Drink” descriptor on its caffeinated beverages. Reuters, Times of India and The Statesman all report that the court focused on procedure: Red Bull had not been given an opportunity to present its case before the June 30 direction was issued.
That means the ruling is narrower than a final victory on the label itself. The court removed the existing order on due-process grounds, but The Statesman reports that it did not decide whether Red Bull is ultimately entitled to use the descriptor. FSSAI can issue notice, hear the company and take a fresh decision; Reuters also reports that a government official said the regulator plans to appeal.
The court removed the existing order on procedure
Reuters reports that the High Court agreed with Red Bull that FSSAI acted without giving the company an opportunity to explain its position. Times of India independently reports the same basis for setting aside the June 30 direction.
The immediate effect is that the order requiring Red Bull to stop using the descriptor has been quashed. The judgment described in the reviewed reports turns on the process FSSAI used, not on a final determination of the product-label question.
The ruling did not decide whether the label is permanently allowed
The Statesman makes the limit explicit: the court did not decide the central regulatory question of whether Red Bull can legally market its products using “Energy Drink.” The relief therefore should not be read as a permanent judicial approval of the descriptor.
That distinction matters for buyers, retailers and other beverage companies following the case. What changed on September 29 is the status of the existing FSSAI order; the broader regulatory issue can return through a properly conducted process.
The dispute traces back to June and July FSSAI actions
The June 30 FSSAI order directed Red Bull to discontinue the “Energy Drink” descriptor. Red Bull later challenged that order and a July 17 communication to food-safety authorities concerning action against allegedly non-compliant products.
Times of India and The Statesman report Red Bull's argument that it had received no show-cause notice or opportunity to be heard before the June direction. The High Court accepted that procedural objection on September 29.
What FSSAI can do next
The Statesman reports that FSSAI remains free to issue Red Bull a show-cause notice, consider its response and make a fresh decision. That would put the underlying label question back before the regulator through a new process rather than revive the quashed order automatically.
Separately, Reuters reports that a government official with direct knowledge said FSSAI will appeal the High Court decision; the regulator did not respond to Reuters' request for comment. Until an appeal or fresh regulatory notice actually changes the position, the confirmed development is the September 29 quashing of the existing order.
