India’s food regulator has opened consultations on draft rules that would prohibit adding sucrose and fructose to foods for infants up to six months old, citing concerns over early dietary exposure and later health risks.
India’s food regulator has proposed barring the addition of sucrose and fructose in products made for infants up to six months old, in a move the government says is aimed at protecting nutrition at a critical stage of early development. The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India published draft amendments to its infant nutrition rules in the Gazette of India on Friday, seeking to tighten the standards that govern the composition, quality and safety of foods for babies. Under the current framework, lactose and glucose polymers are the preferred carbohydrate sources in infant nutrition products, while sucrose and fructose can be used within set limits when required. The draft would go further by flatly prohibiting their addition in foods intended for infants in the first six months of life. In a release on Saturday, the government said this period is especially important for growth and development, and argued that early exposure to added sugars can shape dietary preferences in ways that may raise the risk of childhood obesity and other health problems later on. It also said the proposal aligns with public health guidance that supports exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months, followed by nutritionally adequate complementary foods alongside continued breastfeeding. The draft has been opened to public consultation, with stakeholders given 60 days from the date the official gazette copies are made available to file objections or suggestions. The regulator will review those submissions before deciding whether to finalise the amendment, which will not take effect unless and until it is formally notified.
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