# FSSAI proposes a ban on added sucrose and fructose in foods for infants up to six months

URL: https://upsc.help/current-affairs/2026-10-18/fssai-infant-food-added-sugar-ban/
Date: 18 October 2026 (2026-10-18)
Source: The Hindu, News
UPSC papers: GS2, GS3
Publisher: upsc.help (Pratidin), free and open-source UPSC Civil Services current affairs. Not affiliated with UPSC. Every fact was checked against the source reports by a separate review before publishing.

**In one line:** A draft FSSAI amendment, notified on 16 October 2026, would bar adding sucrose and fructose to food products for infants up to six months old, with 60 days for public comments.

The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has published the draft Food Safety and Standards (Foods for Infant Nutrition) Amendment Regulations, 2026, which would prohibit adding sucrose and fructose to food products intended for infants up to six months of age. The draft appeared in the Gazette of India on 16 October 2026, and the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare announced it on 17 October. Stakeholders have 60 days to send objections and suggestions, which FSSAI will consider before finalising the amendment.

The change amends the Food Safety and Standards (Foods for Infant Nutrition) Regulations, 2020, which cover products for children from birth to 24 months. Under Regulation 3(6), lactose and glucose polymers are the preferred carbohydrates, and sucrose or fructose may be added only when needed as a carbohydrate source, with their sum capped at 20% of total carbohydrate. The draft would remove this leeway for the youngest infants. The Ministry said the first six months are 'a critical period for healthy growth and development' and that the aim is to 'minimise early exposure to added sugars'.

The Ministry linked the step to public health efforts against childhood obesity and to the recommendation of exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months. WHO's 2023 guideline on complementary feeding also advises that young children avoid foods and drinks high in sugar. FSSAI, a statutory body under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, can make regulations under Section 92 only with the previous approval of the Central Government and after previous publication, which is why the rule is first issued as a draft. Infant food sugar came under scrutiny in April 2024, when FSSAI examined a report alleging that Nestle added sugar to infant products sold in poorer countries.

## Prelims facts

- FSSAI's draft Foods for Infant Nutrition Amendment Regulations, 2026 would bar added sucrose and fructose in products for infants up to six months.
- The draft was published in the Gazette on 16 October 2026, with 60 days for objections and suggestions.
- The 2020 regulations prefer lactose and glucose polymers and cap sucrose plus fructose at 20% of total carbohydrate.
- FSSAI makes regulations under Section 92 of the FSS Act, 2006, with previous Central approval and after previous publication.
- The Health Ministry tied the draft to childhood obesity and to exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months.

## Quick recall

- **Which sugars would FSSAI's October 2026 draft bar in foods for infants up to six months?** Added sucrose and fructose.
- **On what date was the draft infant nutrition amendment published in the Gazette?** 16 October 2026.
- **How long do stakeholders have to comment on the draft?** 60 days.
- **Under the 2020 rules, what is the cap on sucrose plus fructose?** 20% of total carbohydrate, and only when needed as a carbohydrate source.
- **What age range do the Foods for Infant Nutrition Regulations, 2020 cover?** Birth to 24 months.
- **Which section of the FSS Act, 2006 empowers FSSAI to make regulations?** Section 92, with previous Central approval and after previous publication.
- **When was FSSAI established, and under which ministry?** 5 September 2008, under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.
- **For how long does WHO recommend exclusive breastfeeding?** The first six months, with breastfeeding continuing up to two years or beyond.

## Prelims practice question

Under the Food Safety and Standards (Foods for Infant Nutrition) Regulations, 2020, which carbohydrates are named as 'preferred' for food for infant nutrition?

(a) Sucrose and fructose
(b) Lactose and glucose polymers
(c) Honey and maple syrup
(d) Starch and sorbitol

Answer: (b) Lactose and glucose polymers. Regulation 3(6) says lactose and glucose polymers shall be the preferred carbohydrates; sucrose and fructose may be added only when needed, up to 20% of total carbohydrate.

## UPSC previous-year questions this connects to

- UPSC Mains 2024, GS2: Poverty and malnutrition create a vicious cycle, adversely affecting human capital formation. What steps can be taken to break the cycle? (https://upsc.help/pyq/q234-poverty-malnutrition-create-vicious-cycle-adversely-affecting/)
  How to use this story in the answer: Use the draft as an example of regulatory steps that protect nutrition in the first months of life, alongside breastfeeding support.
- UPSC Mains 2024, GS2: In a crucial domain like the public healthcare system the Indian State should play a vital role to contain the adverse impact of marketisation of the system. Suggest some measures through which the State can enhance the reach of public healthcare at the grassroots level. (https://upsc.help/pyq/q174-crucial-domain-like-public-healthcare-system-indian/)

## Mains practice question

FSSAI's 2026 draft to bar added sugars in foods for young infants is a small step with a large public health logic. Discuss its significance and the wider measures needed to improve infant nutrition in India. (150 words)

### Model answer

On 16 October 2026 FSSAI notified a draft barring added sucrose and fructose in products for infants up to six months, with 60 days for comments.

## Significance
- **Healthy start:** the Health Ministry calls the first six months "a critical period for healthy growth and development".
- **Obesity prevention:** it limits early exposure to sweetness, a dietary risk factor for childhood obesity.
- **Supports breastfeeding:** it aligns with exclusive breastfeeding for six months, as WHO's 2023 guideline advises.
- **Tighter law:** today sucrose and fructose may be added up to 20% of total carbohydrate.

## Wider measures
- Extend scrutiny to complementary foods for six to 24 months.
- Strong testing and enforcement, given the 2024 Nestle allegations.
- Front-of-package labelling and curbs on marketing unhealthy foods to children.
- Counselling and workplace support for breastfeeding mothers.

Regulation must work with support for mothers if infant nutrition is to improve.

## The basics

## Why this matters
What a baby eats in the first six months shapes growth, taste preferences and later risk of obesity. On 16 October 2026 the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) published a draft rule that would stop manufacturers from adding sucrose (table sugar) and fructose (fruit sugar) to food products meant for infants up to six months of age. It is a small legal change with a large public health logic.

## What sugars are we talking about?
Carbohydrates are the body's main energy source. Lactose is the natural sugar of milk, including breast milk. Glucose polymers, such as maltodextrin, are chains of glucose that supply energy without a strong sweet taste. Sucrose and fructose are much sweeter, and the Health Ministry wants to minimise infants' early exposure to such added sugars.

## How a food standard becomes law
FSSAI is a statutory body under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, working under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. Under Section 92 of the Act it makes regulations only with the previous approval of the Central Government and after previous publication. That is why a draft comes first. See Food Safety and Standards Authority of India.

## Why six months?
The World Health Organization's 2023 guideline on complementary feeding repeats that babies should be exclusively breastfed for the first six months, with complementary foods starting at six months and breastfeeding continuing up to two years or beyond. It also advises against foods and drinks high in sugar for young children. The draft, the Health Ministry said, supports exclusive breastfeeding and aims to minimise early exposure to added sugars. Read Exclusive breastfeeding and complementary feeding.

The rule sits within a wider push on Added sugars and childhood obesity, and refines the categories set out in The Foods for Infant Nutrition Regulations, 2020.

## Sources

- https://www.thehansindia.com/business/fssai-moves-to-ban-sucrose-and-fructose-in-foods-for-infants-up-to-six-months-1133260
- https://telanganatoday.com/fssai-proposes-ban-on-sucrose-fructose-in-foods-for-infants-up-to-six-months
- https://www.businesstoday.in/india/story/rethinking-baby-food-fssai-moves-to-ban-added-sugar-for-infants-under-6-months-heres-why-562261-2026-10-17
- https://www.thc.nic.in/Central Governmental Regulations/Food Safety and Standards (Foods for Infant Nutrition) Regulations, 2020.pdf
- https://ennonline.net/fex/72/who-guideline-for-complementary-feeding-of-infants-and-young-children
- https://www.advocatekhoj.com/library/bareacts/foodsafety/92.php