Govt must carefully regulate sugar content in infant food items: Par Panel

A parliamentary panel has urged stricter regulation of sugar in infant foods, mandatory front-of-pack declarations, and more inspections to safeguard child health

The government should 'carefully regulate' sugar content in infant food products as well as conduct a minimum number of annual inspections, a Parliamentary panel said on Thursday.

The raft of suggestions from the panel comes against the backdrop of concerns in certain quarters about the quality and sugar content in infant food products, which are generally considered as a supplement to breast milk.

The committee has asked the government to conduct periodic scientific review of the sugar threshold limit in infant nutrition.

It also directed the food regulator to accord 'priority enforcement status' for infant and baby food products, with a defined minimum percentage of annual inspections and sampling reserved for this segment.

A Standing Committee on Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution has presented a report on 'Regulation of Packaged Commodities with Specific Reference to Sugar Content in Baby Products and other Food Products' in Parliament.

"The Committee note that in light of the indications presented by the Indian Council of Medical Research and dietary guidance issued by the World Health Organization, it is evident that excessive sugar intake from packaged infant foods poses significant long-term health risks, including dental caries, obesity, metabolic disorders, and other chronic diseases," the report said.

The panel mentioned that infant foods marketed in India are intended to complement breast milk for children between six months and two years of age.

Therefore, ensuring the nutritional safety of infant food is "critical" and is paramount for the government.

"The Committee, therefore, recommend the Government that from an overall perspective, it is essential that the sugar content in various categories of infant food products - such as infant formula, cereal-based complementary foods, follow-up formula, and packaged traditional infant foods - be carefully regulated and aligned with recommended dietary limits," the report said.

The panel also suggested that the government strengthen monitoring mechanisms, ensure adherence to nutritional guidelines, and also to promote formulations with minimal or no added sugars.

In case food products meant for infants and children contain added sugar in any form, the panel said, those products should mandatorily carry "clear and prominent front-of-pack declaration". The label should state the presence of added sugar in grams per serving, along with its percentage contribution to the daily energy requirement of the target age group.

The committee said the requisite amendments should be made in the respective acts, rules and regulations, if there is any need.

The report mentioned that the World Health Organization (WHO) recommends reducing the intake of free sugars to less than 10 per cent of total energy intake for both adults and children, and suggests that a further reduction below 5 per cent may provide additional health benefits.

That apart, the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), in its Dietary Guidelines, 2024, recommends limiting sugar intake to 25 grams per day. Added sugar provides no nutritive value other than calories, as per the ICMR.

The panel asked the government to intensify and recalibrate nationwide consumer awareness campaigns, including the 'Eat Right' initiatives, to specifically communicate the benchmark prescribed by the WHO and the ICMR in simplified and relatable formats.

For the awareness programme, it recommended targeted outreach through schools, anganwadis, maternity clinics and digital platforms.

Although the current sugar threshold limits in infant nutrition are aligned with international standards, the panel stated that scientific knowledge on infant nutrition is continuously evolving and emphasised that regulatory standards should remain dynamic and responsive to emerging scientific evidence.

Hence, it strongly recommended that permissible limits of sugar in infant formula, follow-up formula and complementary foods be periodically and systematically reviewed, preferably at intervals of two to three years, by the concerned scientific bodies of the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI).

The report mentioned that during 202425, more than 4 lakh inspections were conducted across the country by State Governments and FSSAI Regional Offices, including about 1,100 inspections on units involved in foods for infants.

Infant food businesses are categorised as high-risk under the Risk Based Inspection System (RBIS). Each Food Safety Officer has a monthly target of at least 10 inspections and 25 samples.

"While inspection mechanisms are robust in aggregate terms, inspections specifically relating to infant foods constitute a relatively small proportion of total inspections, despite infants representing the most vulnerable consumer group," the committee observed.

The panel suggested that infant and baby food products be accorded priority enforcement status, with a defined minimum percentage of annual inspections and sampling reserved for this segment.

FSSAI should separately mention compliance statistics relating specifically to infant and child foods in its annual report.

The regulator should furnish details about inspections conducted, samples analysed, non-compliance rates, nature of violations (including sugar-related non-compliance), enforcement actions taken and corrective steps implemented, the committee said.