Bitter and sweet: on FSSAI draft restrictions, added sugars in infant foods
The FSSAI is proposing a ban on added sugars like sucrose and fructose in infant foods to align with WHO health guidelines. Experts argue that current regulations allow companies to use sugar as a cheap bulking agent, and they urge the authority to close loopholes that might allow for alternative sweeteners.
Why it matters
This policy shift directly impacts infant nutrition standards and challenges the commercial practices of major food corporations in the Indian market.
Bitter and sweet: on FSSAI draft restrictions, added sugars in infant foods The FSSAI must expand restrictions to cover all added sugars in infant foods The Food Safety and Standards Regulations 2020 currently allow manufacturers to add sucrose and fructose, provided their combined total does not exceed 20% of the carbohydrates in a product intended for infants aged 0-6 months. In a draft proposal, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has pitched to eliminate this allowance — in line with WHO’s recommendation to have infants breastfeed exclusively for the first six months, followed by nutritionally adequate complementary foods avoiding added sugars until 24 months. While corporations have defended sugary formulations as abiding by the Codex Alimentarius, public health experts have repeatedly described their decision to sell infant foods with added sugar as nutritional dumping.
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