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Electrolit Controversy Intensifies as Influencer Pay-To-Post Claims Surface and Lawmakers Weigh New Taxes

The dispute centers on classifying ready-to-drink sueros with added glucose as medicines versus sugary beverages subject to taxes and warning labels.

Overview

  • Medical influencer Octavio “Mr. Doctor” Arroyo says he was offered 48,000 pesos to post negative content about Electrolit, and several creators later deleted critical videos.
  • Deputies from PVEM and PT are pushing to apply IVA and IEPS and to require NOM-051 warning seals for sugary oral rehydration products in the 2026 budget debate, with projected revenue cited between roughly 3.5 and 5 billion pesos.
  • Electrolit, made by PiSA Farmacéutica, is registered with COFEPRIS as a medicine, which currently exempts it from IVA, IEPS and front-of-pack warning seals.
  • Company labeling notes added glucose of about 5 g per 100 ml, a formula component supporters say aids rehydration but which critics argue makes the product comparable to a sweetened beverage if consumed routinely.
  • Public health figure Alejandro Macías contends these solutions are prepared and regulated as medicines and should not be taxed like soft drinks, while legislative and regulatory decisions remain pending.