FSSAI has proposed tighter added-sugar rules for foods intended for infants up to six months. The measure is a draft open to consultation, not a final ban already in force.
The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India proposes prohibiting manufacturers from adding sucrose and fructose to products for this age group, the Health Ministry said on October 17, 2026. The draft amendment was published in the Gazette on October 16.
What would change?
The proposal would amend the Foods for Infant Nutrition Regulations, 2020. Existing provisions prefer lactose and glucose polymers as carbohydrate sources and permit sucrose or fructose only within specified conditions and limits. The new text targets added sucrose and fructose specifically in products intended for infants up to six months.
Stakeholders have 60 days to submit objections or suggestions, counted from the date copies of the Gazette notification are made available to the public. FSSAI will consider responses before finalising the amendment.
What the proposal does not establish
A consultation document should not be confused with an effective compliance deadline. This announcement also does not identify a recalled product or establish that every infant food currently on sale is unsafe. Those would require separate evidence.
For readers comparing reports, three details matter: the age range, the named ingredients and whether a rule is proposed or final. Removing any of those qualifications would change the meaning of the announcement.
The wider feeding guidance
WHO and UNICEF recommend exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months, with appropriate complementary foods introduced from six months while breastfeeding continues up to two years or beyond. That is general public-health guidance, rather than an individual feeding plan for every infant.
Parents using infant formula should seek advice from a qualified health professional about their child’s needs. They should not dilute a feed, substitute an unsuitable product or change a medically advised feeding plan on the basis of a news headline.
Photo credit: MART PRODUCTION / Pexels, Pexels License. Representative stock photograph, not a product or family identified in the announcement.
Sources
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