A draft rule put forward by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) would bar manufacturers from adding sucrose or fructose to nutrition products formulated for infants under six months of age, extending a tightening of restrictions on added sugars across a sector valued at $1.16 billion.
A draft amendment to infant nutrition regulations, put forward by the FSSAI, contains the outlined restrictions, according to a statement from the health and family welfare ministry released on Saturday. The draft amendment was lodged in the Gazette on 16 October, the ministry's statement noted.
The ministry indicated that the draft amendment was designed to tighten rules governing infant nutrition products, requiring that their composition align with age-specific dietary needs and placing particular weight on keeping added sugars out of foods intended for the very young. Restricting added-sugar intake at an age when the body is still forming is described as central to what the policy is designed to accomplish.
The current proposal comes in the wake of a dispute that took shape in April 2024, when a cross-border Swiss-led inquiry determined that Nestlé's Cerelac products distributed across India contained added sugar, whereas equivalent versions made available to consumers in Europe did not. That outlet had already put the government's plan into circulation on 6 March.
Rules on infant nutrition products currently extend only to children aged up to 24 months from the time of birth. Lactose and glucose polymers hold the top position as carbohydrate sources under these guidelines, though sucrose and fructose are also allowed within defined quantity thresholds when circumstances call for their use. Under the proposed rules, that exemption would no longer apply to goods made for the youngest consumers.
The ministry's draft amendment would bar the inclusion of sucrose and fructose in any food product intended for babies up to six months of age. The ministry described the measure as a safeguard for newborns, explaining that the opening six months of an infant's life form a window during which adequate nutrition plays a particularly important role in supporting healthy growth and development.
Under the proposal, added sugars — specifically sucrose and fructose — would be restricted so that baby food products deliver the nutrition infants require, according to the ministry. The ministry's statement noted that the policy also takes aim at nutrition-related factors tied to weight gain in children and the broader health consequences that can follow from high sugar consumption at a young age.
The initiative is described as designed to work alongside guidance on infant feeding, including a recommendation that babies receive only breast milk for their first six months.
According to MarkNtel Advisors, the baby food market in India — valued at $1.16 billion in 2024 — is projected to grow to $1.98 billion by 2030, a trajectory that the proposed rules may reshape.
The food safety authority has opened a 60-day window for stakeholders to submit objections or suggestions on the draft rules, which are intended to promote age-appropriate infant feeding and push manufacturers toward formulations aligned with the nutritional needs of young babies. Submissions gathered during that window will be assessed by the authority before the final regulations are issued.
