FSSAI proposes ban on sucrose, fructose in foods for babies up to 6 months: What parents need to know
FSSAI has invited objections and suggestions from stakeholders within 60 days from the date on which copies of the Official Gazette containing the notification are made available to the public.
Parents buying infant nutrition products may see tighter safeguards on added sugars if a proposed food safety amendment takes effect, with the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) seeking to prohibit the addition of sucrose and fructose in products intended for babies up to six months of age.
The food regulator has published a draft amendment to the Food Safety and Standards (Foods for Infant Nutrition) Regulations, 2020, in the Gazette of India on October 16. The proposal would prohibit manufacturers from adding sucrose and fructose to infant nutrition products meant for this age group, strengthening existing rules that allow these sugars under specified conditions.
For consumers, the move could mean stricter controls over how infant nutrition products are formulated, with a greater emphasis on age-appropriate carbohydrate sources. However, the proposal is still at the draft stage and is not yet a final regulatory requirement.
What changes for parents?
Under the existing regulations, lactose and glucose polymers are the preferred carbohydrate sources in infant nutrition products. Sucrose and fructose may currently be added when needed as a carbohydrate source, subject to a combined limit of 20 per cent of total carbohydrates.
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The proposed amendment would remove this allowance for products intended for infants up to six months of age. If finalised, manufacturers would have to reformulate products in this category to comply with the new restriction.
For parents, the key takeaway is that the proposed change concerns the ingredients manufacturers may add to infant nutrition products. It does not mean that all carbohydrates will be prohibited, nor does it establish that every product currently on the market contains added sucrose or fructose.
Why does it matter for infant health?
The first six months are a critical period for infant growth and development, when feeding choices and nutritional adequacy are particularly important. Reducing the scope for adding sucrose and fructose to products for this age group is intended to strengthen safeguards against unnecessary exposure to these sugars.
The broader public health concern is that early dietary exposure to added sugars can contribute to the development of taste preferences for sweet foods and may form part of dietary patterns associated with future health risks. However, the proposed amendment itself does not establish that removing these ingredients will, on its own, prevent childhood obesity or other health conditions.
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The proposal also aligns with established infant-feeding guidance that recommends exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months of life, where possible. Infant formula and other appropriate products remain important considerations when breastfeeding is not possible or when an infant needs an alternative under appropriate medical guidance.
Will infant formula prices or product choices change?
The immediate impact on consumers is uncertain. If the amendment is finalised, manufacturers may need to review ingredient sourcing, formulations, production processes and product labelling to ensure compliance.
Whether these changes affect retail prices, product availability or the range of formulations offered will depend on how manufacturers respond and how the final rules are framed. The draft notification does not announce a price change, a product recall or an immediate withdrawal of existing products.
Parents should therefore not assume that products currently available are automatically unsafe or that they need to switch products in anticipation of the proposal. Any feeding changes for young infants should be made with appropriate medical advice.
What happens next?
FSSAI has invited objections and suggestions from stakeholders within 60 days from the date on which copies of the Official Gazette containing the notification are made available to the public. The regulator will consider submissions before finalising the amendment.
Until the proposal is finalised and comes into force, the existing regulatory provisions continue to apply. For consumers, the significance of the move lies in the direction of regulation: tighter controls on the formulation of foods for the youngest infants, with a focus on nutritional suitability and preventive health.
