India moves to bar added sugars in infant foods for first six months

India’s food safety regulator has proposed banning added sucrose and fructose in nutrition products for babies up to six months, with the draft amendment now open to public consultation.

India’s food safety regulator has proposed a new limit on infant nutrition products, moving to ban added sucrose and fructose in items made for babies up to six months old. The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India says the measure is meant to cut early exposure to added sugars during a stage when growth and development are especially sensitive, according to the draft amendment published in the Gazette of India on October 16.

The proposal would strengthen the existing Food Safety and Standards (Foods for Infant Nutrition) Regulations, 2020, which already set out nutritional composition, quality and safety standards for products aimed at children from birth to 24 months. Under the current rules, lactose and glucose polymers are preferred carbohydrate sources, while sucrose and fructose can be used within prescribed limits when needed. The draft would replace that flexibility with a clear prohibition for products intended for the first six months of life.

FSSAI said the change reflects wider public-health concerns about early added-sugar exposure, including links to childhood obesity and other diet-related health problems. The regulator also framed the move as consistent with recommendations that support exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months after birth, while still allowing manufacturers to formulate products that meet the nutritional needs of very young infants without relying on added sweeteners.

The draft is now open for public consultation. According to the notice, stakeholders have 60 days from the date the Official Gazette copies are made available to submit objections or suggestions, after which FSSAI will consider the feedback before deciding whether to finalise the amendment.