Does Cadbury Bournvita serve poison to Indians and make money in the name of a health drink?

In every household, when an infant grows up a little, they are given Cadbury Bournvita, considering it has been a healthy drink ever since the 1920s. But is it really? 

This drink has been branded as a healthy drink for children for many years. However, recently a social media influencer Revant Himatsingka shared a video on Instagram where he pointed out how this drink’s ingredients can affect a child. This exclusively went viral leading to people commenting on their experience with the drink. 

Bournvita’s Controversy

Revant, in his video on Instagram, spoke on how Bournvita contains certain ingredients that if taken on a regular basis could lead to severe health consequences like diabetes and cancer. The product contains a coloring agent that is extremely harmful and can cause cancer.    

But, unfortunately, Revant had to issue an apology after the video went viral as Cadbury framed him with defamation charges sending a legal notice. He had to justify that he never wanted to malign the image of Bournvita and has accepted to put down the video. 

The video happened to get 12 million views on Instagram before it was deleted. After this, Cadbury released a statement stating that the claims made are false and does not come with proof. The company further continued saying that the influencer has presented distorted facts and inferences.  

This whole issue has led to a debate about whether Bournvita is a health drink or just branded that way. 

Bournvita’s Stand

To present its side, Bournvita said that for approximately seven decades the brand has gained the trust of its consumers in India and it is a scientifically formulated drink that meets quality standards.

It mentioned that upon seeing the unscientific video of the influencer, they got concerned as he was presenting false facts about Bournvita’s security. This could lead to distrust among Bournvita consumers and create a panic situation. 

The spokesperson told the media that as they saw the post getting viral, they had to take legal action in order to avoid spreading any misinformation. The company also released a statement that has accurate facts that align with the customers. He added that all facts have been verified and the ingredients have received approval from the authority. 

Cadbury claimed that Bournvita should be taken with 200 ml milk. Every 20 gm of Bournvita has 7.5 gm of sugar added, which is considered an acceptable amount for children. Bournvita comprises Copper, Zinc, Iron, and multiple vitamins like A and D which is good for the immune system. Every ingredient has been approved and is safe for intake as per the regulating guidelines, said the spokesperson. 

Is Cadbury Bournvita making fake claims?

After this whole incident, Consumer Voice, a voluntary group, wrote to FSSAI (Food Safety and Standards Authority of India). Ashim Sanyal, COO of Consumers said that there are so many famous brands out there that present fake claims about the safety of the food. These brands make high-end claims that their food is healthy despite it having high salt or sugar. 

He gave the solution that it would be better if brands print on the front and back of the packaging warning consumers of any health issues it can cause. Consumer awareness is the need of the hour that can solve such situations with strict FOPL regulation. 

How much Sugar is “too much Sugar”? 

As recommended by Pediatricians, children aged between 2 to 18 years should not intake more than 24 grams of sugar while children below age 2 should not take sugar at all. A lot of children these days are suffering from Type-2 diabetes while young adults are having heart diseases that shouldn’t be normal. It is indeed crucial to stop them from eating food that is processed, has a high percentage of carbohydrates, or has sugar.

Health drinks like Bournvita showcase that it contains nutrition that tends to give energy. However, it is not a good option for children and young adults as it can lead to obesity, cancer, hypertension, or heart attack.  

After all this scenario, it can only be said that while Revant had to take down his video due to pressure from Bournvito, it has raised a health awareness alarm among the netizens with regard to sugar intake and the risks associated with it.