FSSAI proposes a ban on added sucrose and fructose in foods for infants up to six months
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.
Published 18 October 2026. Written by Pratidin from the reports linked at the end; every fact checked by a separate review before publishing. How we work
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?
- Sucrose and fructose
- Lactose and glucose polymers
- Honey and maple syrup
- Starch and sorbitol
Show answer
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.
Use this in UPSC Mains: previous-year questions
Recurring theme: Child nutrition, food regulation and the role of statutory bodies in public health
- How to use this
Use the draft as an example of regulatory steps that protect nutrition in the first months of life, alongside breastfeeding support.
- FSSAI's October 2026 draft bars added sucrose and fructose in foods for infants up to six months, to minimise early exposure to added sugars.
- It supports exclusive breastfeeding for six months, which WHO's 2023 guideline also advises, with breastfeeding up to two years or beyond.
Background only: FSSAI's infant food standard is State regulation of a market product, not grassroots public healthcare.
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.
- Lactose, the natural sugar in milk
- Glucose polymers, chains of glucose that are less sweet
- Sucrose and fructose may be added today only when needed as a carbohydrate source
- Their sum cannot exceed 20% of total carbohydrate
- The 2026 draft would bar them for infants up to six months
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.
- 1Draft notifiedPublished in the Gazette of India on 16 October 2026
- 2Public consultationObjections and suggestions invited within 60 days
- 3ReviewFSSAI considers the feedback
- 4Final notificationAmendment becomes part of the Foods for Infant Nutrition Regulations, 2020
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.
- 4 December 2020Foods for Infant Nutrition Regulations, 2020 notified
- 30 August 2022First amendment notified, effective 1 October 2022
- April 2024FSSAI examines a report alleging added sugar in Nestle infant products sold in poorer countries
- 16 October 2026Draft bars added sucrose and fructose for infants up to six months
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.
Go deeper
Why it matters for UPSC
It links food regulation (GS2: statutory bodies), child health and nutrition (GS2: health and vulnerable sections) and the rise of non-communicable diseases. Prelims can test FSSAI, the 2020 regulations and WHO feeding advice.
The core idea
India's infant food rules are made by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India. Today The Foods for Infant Nutrition Regulations, 2020 prefer lactose and glucose polymers but allow some sucrose and fructose. The draft removes that leeway for the youngest infants, in line with Exclusive breastfeeding and complementary feeding advice and the effort to curb Added sugars and childhood obesity.
Numbers and dates to remember
- 16 October 2026: draft published in the Gazette of India
- 17 October 2026: Health Ministry statement
- 60 days: window for objections and suggestions
- 6 months: age up to which added sucrose and fructose would be barred
- 20%: present cap on sucrose plus fructose as a share of total carbohydrate
- 0 to 24 months: age range the 2020 regulations cover
- 2006: Food Safety and Standards Act; FSSAI set up on 5 September 2008
Where to go next
- Food Safety and Standards Authority of India: who makes the rule
- The Foods for Infant Nutrition Regulations, 2020: the rule being changed
- Exclusive breastfeeding and complementary feeding: why six months
- Added sugars and childhood obesity: the health concern behind it
Go deeper: regulating the first thousand days
The case for the draft. The Health Ministry calls the first six months "a critical period for healthy growth and development" and says the aim is to "minimise early exposure to added sugars". Infants of this age should ideally get only breast milk, so the draft keeps products for this age closer to that ideal. The step also fits public health efforts on childhood obesity, explained in Added sugars and childhood obesity.
Questions to watch. The draft covers only products for infants up to six months. Complementary foods for six to 24 months, such as cereal-based foods under The Foods for Infant Nutrition Regulations, 2020, would still be governed by the present rule, which allows sucrose and fructose when needed, up to 20% of total carbohydrate.
Why trust has mattered. In April 2024 FSSAI said it was examining a report by a Swiss investigative organisation alleging that Nestle added sugar to infant products sold in low-income countries but not in its main European markets. Such episodes show why clear, enforceable standards matter more than voluntary claims.
The bigger frame. The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India can only notify rules after previous publication and Central approval under Section 92, so drafts like this are the stage at which citizens can shape them. Rules alone cannot replace support for Exclusive breastfeeding and complementary feeding, such as maternity benefits and counselling.
Food Safety and Standards Authority of India
The statutory regulator that writes India's food standards.
In one line: FSSAI is the statutory regulator that sets science-based standards for food in India, under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006.
How it was set up
The Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 created FSSAI, which was established on 5 September 2008. Its administrative ministry is the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. Under Section 5 of the Act it has a Chairperson and 22 members, one-third of whom must be women. The Act replaced older laws such as the Prevention of Food Adulteration Act, 1954 and orders like the Fruit Products Order, 1955.
How it makes rules
Section 92 of the Act lets the Food Authority make regulations "with the previous approval of the Central Government" and "after previous publication". This is why FSSAI first publishes a draft and invites objections, as it did for the infant food amendment on 16 October 2026.
Why it is in the news
The infant food draft is FSSAI using this power to tighten standards for the most vulnerable consumers.
Where to go next
Food Safety and Standards Authority of India: every story that connects to it (2)
The Foods for Infant Nutrition Regulations, 2020
The rulebook for baby foods that the draft would change.
In one line: These regulations set standards for every packaged food made for children from birth to 24 months.
What they cover
Notified on 4 December 2020 under Section 92(2)(e) of the FSS Act, they group products into three families:
- Infant milk substitutes, including infant formula for the first six months.
- Infant food, including milk cereal based and processed cereal based complementary foods, follow-up formula for six to 24 months, and foods based on traditional ingredients.
- Food for special medical purposes for infants, such as preterm and lactose-free formulas.
The carbohydrate rule
Regulation 3(6) says lactose and glucose polymers "shall be the preferred carbohydrates". Sucrose and fructose "shall not be added, unless needed as a carbohydrate source", and their sum must not exceed 20% of total carbohydrate.
What changes
The 2026 draft would add a provision that sucrose and fructose must not be added to products for infants up to six months.
Where to go next
Exclusive breastfeeding and complementary feeding
Why six months is the line the draft draws.
In one line: WHO advises only breast milk for the first six months, then nutritious complementary foods alongside breastfeeding up to two years or beyond.
Exclusive breastfeeding
Exclusive breastfeeding means the baby gets only breast milk, with no other food or drink, for the first six months.
Complementary feeding
WHO's 2023 guideline on complementary feeding for children aged 6 to 23 months says:
- Complementary foods should start at six months, and breastfeeding should continue up to two years or beyond.
- Children should eat animal-source foods, fruits and vegetables daily.
- They should avoid foods and drinks high in sugar, salt, trans fats or non-sugar sweeteners, including sugar-sweetened drinks, and fruit juice should be limited.
Why it is in the news
The Health Ministry said the FSSAI draft supports the recommendation of exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months.
Where to go next
Added sugars and childhood obesity
The health concern behind the draft.
In one line: Added sugars are sugars put into food during processing, and the Health Ministry treats early exposure to them as a dietary risk linked to childhood obesity.
Added versus natural sugars
Natural sugars occur inside foods, like lactose in milk or fructose inside whole fruit. Added sugars, such as sucrose, fructose or syrups, are mixed in by the manufacturer.
The policy link
The Health Ministry tied the FSSAI draft to public health efforts against childhood obesity, a growing non-communicable disease risk. WHO's 2023 complementary feeding guideline also asks for broader policy action, such as front-of-package labelling and limits on marketing of unhealthy foods to children.
The trust question
In April 2024 FSSAI said it was examining a report alleging that Nestle added sugar to infant products in low-income countries but not in its main European markets. The draft would settle the question by law for products meant for infants up to six months.
Where to go next
Take the 18 October 2026 quiz: 30 Prelims-style questions with answers