Reuters reports the proposal would ban adding sucrose and fructose to foods for infants up to six months old.
Reuters reports that India's food safety regulator has proposed banning the addition of sucrose and fructose to foods for infants up to six months old. The proposal would tighten rules on added sugars in infant nutrition products.
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India’s food-safety regulator has proposed barring sucrose and fructose from infant nutrition products intended for babies up to six months old. The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India proposal is meant to reduce early exposure to added sugars and address health risks associated with childhood obesity.
The measure is still a draft. Stakeholders have 60 days to submit comments, objections and suggestions, The Indian Express reports.
Under the existing rules, lactose and glucose polymers are the preferred carbohydrate sources in infant foods. Sucrose and fructose may be used when needed, subject to prescribed limits. The FSSAI’s 2020 regulations cap the two sweeteners together at 20% of total carbohydrate.
The draft would replace that limited permission with a prohibition for products intended for infants through six months of age. Manufacturers could continue using sucrose and fructose within the existing limits in products for children from six to 24 months, according to The Indian Express.
India’s Health Ministry said the first six months are a critical period for growth and development. It said the change would support exclusive breastfeeding during that period and encourage manufacturers to prioritize the nutritional needs of young infants.
The proposal follows heightened scrutiny of added sugar in baby food. The Indian Express reported that FSSAI began examining the issue after a 2024 investigation by the nonprofit Public Eye found that some Nestlé Cerelac products sold in India contained added sugar while equivalent products in the United Kingdom and Germany did not.
For now, the proposed amendment is under consultation rather than in force.
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