New Delhi: India plans to completely ban added sugar in all baby food products to combat rising obesity and metabolic diseases in the country, according to two government officials aware of the development.
The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) is drafting a “zero-added sugar” standard for infants aged 6 to 24 months under the Food Safety and Standards (Foods for Infant Nutrition) Regulations. The proposal is to allow only naturally occurring lactose in milk products, the people said.
Current regulations allow carbohydrates such as lactose and glucose polymers in infant foods, while limiting added sugars such as sucrose and fructose to 20% of total carbohydrates.
If implemented, the rule would affect a wide range of products, including infant cereals and milk formula sold by companies such as Nestlé, Abbott, Danone and Amul in India’s $1.16-billion baby food market.
Officials said consultations are underway with state food commissioners and scientific panels to finalize the technical standards. “The FSSAI has given direction for an overhaul and streamline every regulation related to baby food products,” said one of the two officials requesting anonymity.
For infants who are lactose intolerant, the regulator may allow complex carbohydrates such as polysaccharides and oligosaccharides instead of refined sugars.
India records roughly 25 million births annually, making infant nutrition standards a significant public health lever. Data from a National Family Health survey show the share of overweight children has increased to 3.4% from 2.1% five years earlier.
The Economic Survey 2025-26 warned that the number of obese children in India could rise to 83 million by 2035 from 33 million in 2020. A Lancet study also stated India could have the world’s second-largest obesity burden by 2035, with 449 million overweight or obese people by 2050.
The push for stricter standards also follows criticism that some baby food products sold by multinational companies in developing markets contain higher levels of sugar than those sold in Europe.
Industry groups have, meanwhile, urged the regulator to introduce the rule gradually, citing reformulation challenges. At a stakeholder meeting in Thanjavur on 12 February, industry representatives said hidden sugars can enter supply chains through ingredients such as glucose coatings on dehydrated vegetables and cereal bases, according to one of the officials cited above.
Industry stakeholders have sought more time to reformulate products and improve supply chain traceability to meet a zero-sugar standard.
Danone India managing director Shashi Ranjan, in an emailed response, said the company supports strong nutrition standards and complies with existing regulations.
“All of Danone India’s infant milk formulas are formulated without added sugar (sucrose or fructose) and are in line with current Indian regulatory requirements,” Ranjan said.
Nestlé India, in a Whatsapp response, said it has already begun reducing sugar in some products. In 2024, it introduced Cerelac variants with no refined sugar, "which now form a majority of the range in India,” a company spokesperson said.
The company also launched Ceregrow in 2025 for toddlers aged 2-6 years with no refined sugar, the spokesperson added.
To be sure, the rule will also apply to imported baby food products, as all food imports must comply with FSSAI standards, one of the officials said. While companies may bring in specific infant nutrition formulations from overseas markets, these products would need to meet the proposed zero-added sugar requirement before being sold in India.
Queries emailed to the ministry of health and family welfare, FSSAI, Gujarat Cooperative Milk Marketing Federation, and Abbott on 5 March remained unanswered till press time.
Zero-sugar rule
Health experts say eliminating added sugar in infant foods could have long-term benefits.
“While fructose and sucrose in regular formulas may not cause immediate issues, they are addictive and act as ‘hidden dangers’ that trigger complications later in life,” said Dr Nishant Wadhwa, pediatric gastroenterologist at Sir Ganga Ram Hospital in New Delhi. Reducing added sugars can help prevent metabolic problems later in life, Wadhwa said.
Global health guidelines already discourage sugar consumption for young children, said Dr Arun Gupta, child health and nutrition expert
“WHO’s and Indian Academy of Pediatrics guidelines recommend no added sugar under the age of two…. Natural sugar like lactose is sufficient, and we should focus more on the nutritive part than sweetness or taste.”
India’s baby food market is projected to grow to $1.98 billion by 2030, according to market research firm MarkNtel Advisors.