India food regulator proposes infant sugar ban amid broader packaged food crackdown

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India proposes infant sugar ban

Highlights

FSSAI proposes banning sucrose and fructose in food products for infants up to six months to combat childhood obesity and tighten sugar regulations.
India's $100 billion packaged food sector faces increased regulatory scrutiny, including front-of-pack labeling mandates and forced restaurant suspensions amid rising obesity concerns.
A study in The Lancet projects India's overweight or obese adult population to rise from 180 million in 2021 to 450 million by 2050, driving regulatory action.

Proposed rule for infant nutrition products

As reported by Reuters, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India on Saturday proposes banning the addition of sucrose and fructose to food products for infants up to six months of age, in a further tightening of sugar rules in infant nutrition. The regulator says the measure is intended to reduce infants' exposure to added sugars and address health risks linked to childhood obesity.

Under current rules, lactose and glucose polymers are the preferred carbohydrate sources in infant nutrition products, while sucrose and fructose can still be added when required, subject to prescribed limits. FSSAI says the existing regulations set nutritional composition, quality and safety standards for infant nutrition products intended for children from birth to 24 months of age.

Wider pressure on India's food industry

The proposal arrives as India intensifies its broader food safety crackdown, with regulators forcing local eateries and branded restaurants to suspend operations in some cases. At the same time, a push for front-of-pack warning labels is unsettling the country's packaged food sector, which is valued at more than $100 billion.

Activists and officials have long raised concerns about rising obesity rates, particularly among children. A study published in The Lancet says India had 180 million overweight or obese adults in 2021, and that figure is projected to reach 450 million by 2050.

FSSAI and some state regulators have also stepped up checks in recent months, issuing regular public updates that include photos and videos of raids that have drawn broad attention online. In August, FSSAI proposes a red hexagonal stamp on labels for products high in two or more nutrients of concern such as sugar, salt or saturated fat, but later tightens the proposal after public outcry, saying a warning would be required if even one nutrient exceeds the prescribed level.

Our earlier coverage of FSSAI’s restrictions on the “energy drink” label showed how India’s food-safety regulator is increasingly assertive in policing product labeling, with major brands facing limits on what they can print on packs. We noted that PepsiCo warned the Delhi High Court the ban could disrupt supplies, while some competitors obtained temporary relief—highlighting both compliance pressure and competitive distortions as enforcement tightens.

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