Banned or restricted substance
Caffeine limit for energy drinks in India (regulation 2.10.6)
Last checked 21 September 2026
Under regulation 2.10.6 caffeinated beverages in India must contain 145 to 300 mg caffeine per litre and carry cautionary statements; FSSAI's 3 Jul 2026 order requires the name 'Caffeinated beverage' on labels by 29 Sep 2026.
- Classification
- Restricted (Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006)
- Decided by
- Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI)
- Reference
- Food Safety and Standards (Food Products Standards and Food Additives) Regulations, 2011, regulation 2.10.6 (caffeinated beverages); FSSAI order 3 Jul 2026
- Latest action
- 3 July 2026
- Last checked
- 21 September 2026
Photo: Various energy drinks 03.jpg by Oto Zapletal (CC BY-SA 4.0). All photo credits.
'Not enough time': India gives 90-day deadline to re-label energy drinks
Our team has checked this record against the published reports, last on 21 September 2026. The government order itself is not published online, or we have not found it yet, so we link the best public report. If you have the order, send it to us and we will link it instead.
Scope. A record here does not by itself mean a product or company is unsafe or banned today. Regulatory actions can apply to one batch, one formulation, one period or one state. Always check the linked government document for the current position, and tell us if something is out of date. How we label records.
Below: Blacklisted's explanationWe explain what has been reported. The report above is the best source we hold.
Key facts
- Caffeine range
- 145 to 300 mg per litre
- Per 250 ml can at the cap
- 75 mg
- Mandatory statements
- Caffeine content; not recommended for children, pregnant or lactating women, persons sensitive to caffeine; limits on daily consumption
- Name
- 'Caffeinated beverage', 'energy drink' not to be used from the 2026 order
- Other ingredients
- Taurine, glucuronolactone, inositol and B-vitamins permitted within limits
Indian food law has regulated caffeinated drinks as a defined category since regulation 2.10.6 was added to the Food Products Standards and Food Additives Regulations. The regulation sets a caffeine range of 145 to 300 mg per litre, a floor as well as a ceiling, so that a product sold as a caffeinated beverage delivers what its category implies, and permits specified functional ingredients such as taurine, glucuronolactone and inositol within limits. It requires cautionary statements on the label: the caffeine content, a warning that the product is not recommended for children, pregnant or lactating women and people sensitive to caffeine, and guidance on daily intake.
What the regulation did not do was police the word 'energy drink', which manufacturers continued to use as their category name. FSSAI's order of 3 Jul 2026 closed that gap by requiring the regulatory name 'Caffeinated beverage' on all packs within 90 days, with the caffeine declaration and warnings displayed as the regulation requires. The deadline is 29 Sep 2026.
The caffeine cap is a restriction, not a ban, and no beverage is prohibited by it. Exact warning text and ingredient limits are to be quoted from the regulation.
What this means for you
Compare with coffee
A 250 ml can at the 300 mg/L cap has 75 mg caffeine; filter coffee ranges from 80 to 150 mg a cup. The label will state the figure.
The warnings are mandatory
A can without the caffeine and 'not recommended' statements is non-compliant once the 2026 deadline passes.
This is a record of official orders, not medical advice. Do not stop a prescribed medicine without asking your doctor or pharmacist.
Official sources and primary records
- 'Not enough time': India gives 90-day deadline to re-label energy drinksNewsFoodNavigator · 27 August 2026
- FSSAI won't ease energy drink label deadline, unnerving companiesNewsBusiness Standard · 8 August 2026